Eytan Yammer
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Rabbi Eytan Yammer has shown us that leadership does not require perfection. He and his family are committed to remaining with this community for the long haul even as many other rabbis leave for bigger and better opportunities. He brings stability, tolerance and openness to a community where it would otherwise be in short supply. He and his wife welcome everyone into the fold and into their home regardless of observance level or background. He does this despite struggling with Tourette’s syndrome, and numerous other physical and mental health challenges. He brings a unique perspective to his sermons, having served as an infantryman in the Israeli army, an emergency medical technician who responded to lower Manhattan on 9/11, a student of marine and molecular biology, and an avid photographer and hockey player. These experiences serve as an inspiration to all of us who see and hear how they inform his unique journey, which encourages us to pursue our own unique paths while broadening our commitment to our heritage. He is the super glue that binds our small community together.
— Kenneth Ehrenberg
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.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
