Something Rotten in Denmark
First, there was the violent outrage sparked by a Danish newspaper’s publication of cartoons of the Muhammad. Now, there’s a new Danish target of Muslim discontent: cookies — “Jewish cookies.” Aside from their name, the traditional Danish cookies actually have nothing to do with Jews, but that apparently hasn’t stopped some elements of the Muslim community from hating them, according to this report in the European Jewish Press.
The head of the public food consumer department reportedly said that changing the name of the cinnamon and hazelnut treat is a possible response to the problem.
Denmark’s chief rabbi, Bent Lexner, said he wouldn’t particularly care if the non-kosher cookies had a name change, but added he would prefer that the views of the cookies’ detractors change instead: “There is nothing Jewish in it and I wouldn’t mind another name, but I think that it would be better to educate Muslims to respect the culture of the majority in Denmark, if they want the majority to respect their culture”.
Why I became the Forward’s editor-in-chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
— Alyssa Katz, editor-in-chief
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