Forward 50 2013
Julius Berman, 78, chairman of the organization that distributes millions of dollars in German reparation funds to Holocaust survivors, has long been seen as one of American Jewry’s most capable lay leaders. But that reputation was called into question this year. An internal probe by the Conference for Material Claims Against Germany found that he…
A career encompassing almost all aspects of Middle East policy has this year landed Martin Indyk at the pinnacle of American efforts to resolve the decades long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As the United States special envoy to the peace talks, Indyk, 62, is tasked with a job few envy. It’s a task many before him have…
It’s been another banner year for the multi-Tony Award-winning writer and performer Harvey Fierstein, the son of a Conservative Jewish family who went on to create such Broadway shows as “Torch Song Trilogy” and “La Cage Aux Folles.” Brought up in Brooklyn, the 59-year-old Fierstein has likened his artistic process to talmudic study: “There is…
Israeli food lovers have waited for this year for a long time — the country’s cuisine is finally having its moment in the sun. In the United States, Israeli-American chef Michael Solomonov has become the cuisine’s unofficial ambassador. Answering the question: “What is Israeli cuisine?” is just about impossible. The young country’s culinary identity is…
Poised to be the first woman ever to lead America’s central bank, Janet Yellen comes to the post with a wealth of knowledge and experience accumulated in years of scholarly and public work. Yellen, 67, was nominated by President Obama following an unusually open and intense search process. An economics professor who also served as…
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis dubbed her June 2013 bat mitzvah Torah reading “a perfect portion for me.” It recounted how Joshua and Caleb broke ranks with the other Israelite scouts who returned from Canaan saying that conquering the land would be impossible. “It’s about people being told they can’t do something, and they…
Rabbi Norman Lamm’s retirement in June as Yeshiva University chancellor was overshadowed by his recent admission that for decades as Y.U. president he failed to report allegations of sexual abuse made against members of his staff. Rather than ignoring or glossing over his mistakes, Lamm, 85, led by example. In a publicly released retirement letter,…
Since the days of Hank Greenberg, Jewish baseball stars have been a source of pride for American Jews. Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun, whose father is Jewish and who identifies as a Jew, was no exception. In 2011, when he was named Major League Baseball’s Most Valuable Player, Braun made the Forward 50. Braun…
When superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman and celebrity cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot appeared at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in February, their musical director was hardly at the top of the bill. That is par for the course for Hankus Netsky, who helped mastermind Perlman and Helfgot’s “Eternal Echoes” project. For more than 30 years, Netsky, 58, has…
When Chris Hughes, the millionaire co-founder of Facebook, bought The New Republic in 2012, there was a minor flap in the blogosphere over fears that the blond, Lutheran-raised Internet mogul would purge the venerable liberal magazine of its Jewish editorial staff. In fact, the opposite has been true, starting with the rehiring of Franklin Foer…
Jane Katz came home from Israel this year lugging unusual souvenirs: 13 medals from the 19th Maccabiah Games, including 11 for each of the Masters swimming events she entered, one silver for the medley relay she participated in as part of the U.S. team, and one gold for the women’s freestyle relay. These souvenirs are…
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