Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
My best time at the movies this year was seeing “On the Map,” an uplifting documentary directed and written by Dani Menkin about how the hard work of the players of its Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team put Israel on the world map in 1977 by winning the EuroCup. Menkin deftly interweaves archival footage with interviews with players, including team captain Tal Brody along with Hall of Famer Bill Walton. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I laughed, I cried and I watched in anticipation to see what would unfold. Even better was that I brought my kids, and I loved experiencing the film with them, as it brought Israel’s history to life, and made us feel a love and pride for the country, in a way that only an actual trip there usually does.
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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