Joan Afton is an LA-based writer, storyteller and educator.
Joan Afton
By Joan Afton
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Culture She was my Hebrew school bully — and I finally learned what happened to her
It was supposed to be a secular humanist synagogue, but it seemed a lot more like 'Lord of the Flies'
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Culture Whether fleeing Nazis, Cossacks, wildfires or ICE, we all need a ‘go bag’
Across the years and miles, we carry the weight of the difficult choices that have to be made
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Culture How from where we started did we ever reach this Hanukkah?
A tale of friendship, resilience, holidays, family, Katharine Hepburn and the power of an unpronounceable acronym
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Fast Forward Why some Satmar Hasidic leaders endorsed Zohran Mamdani as mayor, stunning many Jewish voters
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Opinion I’m an Israeli who lives in New York. Here’s why I’m voting for Mamdani
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Culture Mamdani quoted Eugene Debs in his victory speech — there’s a long Jewish history there
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Fast Forward Kanye says he wants to ‘make amends’ with Jews, meets with Orthodox celebrity rabbi
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Fast Forward Kazakhstan set to join Abraham Accords as Trump seeks to reinvigorate initiative
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Opinion The fundamental miscalculation behind the GOP’s antisemitism crisis
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Fast Forward US teen deported, Israeli rabbi wounded as tensions mount for Jewish activists in the West Bank
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