Rabbi Debra Orenstein
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
I am 26 years old. I am not Orthodox. I go to shul. In some ways, I believe these three statements alone should be enough to convince you how amazing this rabbi is. How is she amazing? Let me count (just a few of) the ways: Rabbi Orenstein tries to connect the parshah to situations in modern life to which each person can relate. The congregation holds “theme Shabbats”; I have attended the Sinatra Shabbat. (Unfortunately, I was not yet aware of this amazing community when they had the Beatles Shabbat!) She also writes on topics important to the Jewish community, such as the Jewish lifecycle for women. She is available for her congregants. She is exactly what you want and expect from a rabbi: She is progressive while valuing tradition.
— Kerry Salkin and seven others
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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