In a recent piece in these pages, Batya Ungar-Sargon argued that there’s a liberal case to be made for nationalism. At turns provocative and frustrating, the crux of her argument lies in this quote: “It’s the fundamental irony of the left today that in our rush to eschew the racism we find in so many…
Dear Editor: I am disappointed that David Myers has decided to leave the Center for Jewish History. We could not have had a more eminent and highly qualified Jewish historian at its helm. There is so much I’d like to say to his detractors. I know they will google my name and come after me…
The decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the Muslim travel ban is devastating and shameful. It will not only harm those Muslims seeking refuge and/or reunification with their family in America, but it will also fuel a dangerous and very real animus toward Muslims who for generations have called America their home. A word…
Dear Governor Dean: You recently tweeted about an article I wrote in these pages. The article was about anti-Semitism and anti-Roma pogroms in Ukraine. You were skeptical: Be interested to know if this is based on Russian disinformation. https://t.co/h2uKTYYKeR — Howard Dean (@GovHowardDean) June 25, 2018 I’m glad you’re exhibiting a healthy skepticism. The next…
“Are you ready for the summer?” goes the phrase from the Bill Murray comedy “Meatballs.” When asked if the ritzy Camp Mohawk is worth the price, Murray’s character rattles off its unique programs — a roundtable with Henry Kissinger, Yasser Arafat rapping with the kids and a not-so-P.C. version of sexual awareness week. If a…
In her June 18 piece, “Jews Should Disown Stephen Miller Over Trump’s Family Separation Disgrace,” Jane Eisner asks, “should the American Jewish community disown Stephen Miller?” Jewish leaders and thousands of Jewish activists have already shared their answer and it is a resounding yes. This February, more than 17 Jewish organizations signed a letter authored…
In their response to my recent piece, “The Loneliness of the Liberal Zionist,” Harry Reis and Yoav Schaefer have argued that Israel bears responsibility for the decline (if not death) of liberal Zionism as a viable future path for the Jewish state. Because of five decades of occupation, unremitting settlement expansion beyond the Green Line,…
The Trump administration’s odd relationship with American Jews was on full display last week in Jerusalem. There, a multitude of end-times obsessed evangelical politicians gathered at the new U.S. Embassy to fantasize about Kingdom Come. U.S. Ambassador David Friedman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who, having wantonly chosen politics over their obligations to the founding…
How do we serve the spiritual needs of our men and women in uniform? As a Navy veteran and a rabbi, it is a question I struggle with every day. When we think about the role of religion in the military we often think of it in the context of death or illness —especially this…
To the editor, I was surprised and disappointed to see that the Forward published an article incorrectly characterizing me as a supporter of the BDS movement. I do not support the BDS movement and never have. I disavow it. The grants in question were made from an account in the foundation that was assigned to…
To the Forward: Last week Ari Feldman interviewed me for “Is Jordan Peterson Enabling Jew Hatred?” When Feldman contacted me, I explicitly told him that I had never read Peterson’s work and knew very little about him. Throughout the interview, I repeated that point and refused to offer any assessment of the work itself because…
די „שלום־עליכם לעקציע“ וועט מען קענען הערן אויפֿן אָרט אָדער דורך דער אינטערנעץ.
