Muslim Winner Gets Mazal Tov
Keith Ellison, the Minnesota Democrat poised to become the country’s first-ever Muslim congressman after winning Tuesday, is being hailed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations. In addition to backing from his co-religionists, Ellison had help from some Jewish Democrats during the campaign and received a post-election Mazal Tov from the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas:
“JCRC also will work with Representative-elect Ellison on the enduring issue for the Jewish community: peace in the Middle East. We respect Representative-elect Ellison’s commitment to a two-state solution and hope to work with him on initiatives that ensure the safety and security of Israel and promote the establishment of a democratic Palestinian state free from terror. Representative-elect Ellison’s indication that he wishes to visit Israel with the JCRC in the coming months is a positive first step, and we look forward to accompanying him on this trip.”
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.
