In the Gutter
I am saddened to see such an esteemed voice of Jewish culture and values promoting pornography and extolling the virtues of pole dancing for observant Jewish women! I would have considered either of these online articles an aberration, but two in the same week constitutes a trend. The blog post “My First (Jewish) Porno” (August 24) is a breathy fan letter to the Jewish hard-core porn star James Deen.
Just days later, in the blog post “Pole Dancing for the Jewish Soul” (August 26) we learn that a woman’s value may be enhanced by her prowess on the pole. It is doubly distressing that both of these ill-aimed articles appear under the aegis of “The Sisterhood” where one might hope to read of higher aspirations for women than to be degrading participants in the sex industry, however tangentially. The memories of Jewish women who fought for sexual equality and justice are sullied by such trivial puff pieces passing for journalism.
I kindly request a return to the substantial reportage on gender issues that has made the Forward a valuable voice for Jewish women and their supporters.
Avra Cohen New York, N.Y.
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.
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