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Forward 50 2013
Francesca Segal
This has been quite a year for debut novelist Francesca Segal, the 33-year-old author of “The Innocents.” Her book won the National Jewish Book Award for fiction, the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, the 2013 Harold U. Ribalow prize, and was longlisted for the 2013 Women’s Prize for Fiction. The novel reimagines Edith Wharton’s…
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Forward 50 2013 Mordechai Twersky
Hundreds of alumni from Yeshiva University High School for Boys knew that their former administrator, Rabbi George Finkelstein, behaved inappropriately with students during the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s. But only one of those students, Mordechai Twersky, battled to ensure that the allegations saw the light of day. Ignored for decades by Yeshiva University’s presidents Rabbi…
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Forward 50 2013 Avi Weiss
Despite continued opposition from his right flank, in 2013 Avi Weiss witnessed the coming of age of two of the groundbreaking Orthodox institutions he created. This summer, Weiss presided over the first graduation ceremony of female clerics at Yeshivat Maharat, and smoothly passed the reins of his flagship rabbinic school, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, to a…
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Forward 50 2013 Ruth Wisse
Political scientist Wallace Stanley Sayre once said: “Academic politics is the most vicious and bitter form of politics, because the stakes are so low.” When it comes to Jewish studies professor Ruth Wisse, the politics have certainly been fierce, but the stakes have hardly been low. Wisse, 77, is the Martin Peretz professor of Yiddish…
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Forward 50 2013 Angelina Jolie
What was Jewish about Angelina Jolie’s decision to have her breasts surgically removed? Everything. The Hollywood superstar stunned million of fans with the stark and eloquent announcement that she had chosen to proactively undergo the procedure to reduce her risk of contracting breast cancer. Jolie, whose mother died from breast cancer, explained that she took…
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Forward 50 2013 Sarah Bunin Benor
While working in the library as a college student, Sarah Bunin Benor stumbled upon references to Judeo-Italian and other Jewish languages she’d never heard of before. This discovery inspired her to become a sociolinguist and study Jewish languages around the world and close to home. Her book, “Becoming Frum: How Newcomers Learn the Language and…
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Forward 50 2013 Starbuck Ballner
While reporting on Hurricane Sandy, Forward reporters witnessed scores of flooded basements, wrecked storefronts, and crumbling synagogue walls. Yet in the aftermath of such a tragedy, we were inspired by the work of those who selflessly answered the call to rebuild our damaged communities. One such volunteer was Starbuck Ballner, 27, the operations and administrative…
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Forward 50 2013 Weberman’s Victim
Though ineligible for our main list because of her anonymity (hence no photograph), the bravery of one young ultra-Orthodox woman merits special note. Despite massive communal opposition and threats she stood up for Orthodox victims of sexual abuse. Prior to the 2012 trial of Nechemya Weberman, the Satmar community raised $500,000 for the accused and…
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Forward 50 2013 Sara Bloomfield
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum stands out as a notable collaboration between the Jewish community and the federal government: It is a national museum, mandated by Congress and located on the National Mall, with a triple mission of commemorating the death of European Jews, preventing future genocides, and serving as a top Holocaust research…
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Forward 50 2013 Mitchell Davis
Unless you are a professional foodie, there’s a good chance you aren’t familiar with Mitchell Davis. But you have surely tasted his impact. As executive vice president of the James Beard Foundation — America’s foremost culinary organization — Davis is one of the most influential individuals on the nation’s foodways. Davis is the weekly host…
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Forward 50 2013 Josh Block
The choice of Josh Block, 40, to head The Israel Project, one of the Jewish community’s fastest growing pro-Israel organizations, marked a clear shift for the group and in Block’s professional trajectory. A former media relations professional, Block was best known as the combative spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, where he served…
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