Rabbi Patricia Fenton

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
“Rabbi Fenton’s unique gift to Judaism is her keen ability to see in each of her students their potential and the spark of Torah that resides in them — and only them. She is the humble teacher, working diligently in the beit midrash and helping fledgling rabbinical students of all ages come to know Torah and develop within themselves a storehouse of love, respect and dedication to serve the Jewish people. She will likely never be on the cover of Time or be the head rabbi of a large metropolitan synagogue, but if we are talking about the shape of the rabbinate, she is quietly shaping the future of American Judaism one student at a time.”
—CHANA ROSENSON
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.
