Opinion

• Opinion

  Amnesty’s War on the Law of War

  Generating predictable newspaper headlines around the world, Amnesty International has issued a report calling for an arms embargo on Israel and Hamas. Journalists dutifully reported that demand, as well as Israel’s criticism of Amnesty’s report. The impression created is of the usual factual dispute about claims of human rights violations. It’s a pity that coverage…

  By Marc Stern

  3 min read
• 
  Opinion

  Morgenthaus vs. Genocide

  Robert Morgenthau’s announcement that he will retire after more than three decades as Manhattan’s district attorney caps an impressive career in law enforcement. With his latest case, against banks illegally aiding the governments of Iran and Sudan, three generations of Morgenthaus have now confronted perpetrators of genocide — which is as tragic a commentary on…

  By Rafael Medoff Mar 4, 2009 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  Esther’s Lesson for Sudan

  I have always been fascinated by Purim — a holiday that celebrates a disaster that nearly *happened but didn’t, a planned genocide against the Jewish people in ancient Persia that was subverted at the final hour. *The heroine of this story was a woman, Queen Esther, whose nerve and diplomatic savvy rescued the Jewish community…

  By Ruth Messinger Mar 4, 2009 | 3 min read

Columnists View All

• Jodi Rudoren This is my last column as editor of the Forward

  

• Jay Michaelson American Jews were played — now what?

  

• Rob Eshman Charlie Kirk and Alan Berg: 2 murders, 41 years apart, show the painful perils of polarization

  

• Nora Berman Is Netflix’s new show the most Jewish cartoon ever?

  

• Dan Perry Israel’s strike in Qatar: An audacious bid for victory, or just another foolhardy provocation?

  

• Emily Tamkin Trump’s attack on George Soros is ludicrous. It also endangers Jews (and everyone else)

  

The Latest

• Opinion

  The Politics of Yesterday, and of Tomorrow

  There were two oddly related meetings in Washington, D.C., recently. You’ve probably heard of CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, the one that featured Rush Limbaugh. It was well covered by the media — C-SPAN and Fox News carried large chunks of it live — and not just because of Limbaugh. Joe the Plumber was…

  By Leonard Fein Mar 4, 2009 | 4 min read
• Letters

  March 13, 2009

  Hebrew College Serves Entire Community Your February 27 article “Hebrew College’s Big Plans Yield Big Debts” noted some of the challenges facing Hebrew College and other Jewish colleges. It is true that the academic landscape has changed, as secular universities have increased their Jewish studies offerings. But while some conclude that we have become an…

  Mar 4, 2009 | 2 min read
• Opinion

  Victory in Sharm el-Sheikh

  Israel scored a significant diplomatic victory at the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in early March, when representatives from more than 70 nations and international organizations gathered to discuss the reconstruction of Gaza. It’s important for Israelis and their friends to recognize what was gained there, and to resist the temptation to sulk over…

  Mar 4, 2009 | 2 min read
• Opinion

  The Good Banker

  Ever since Nancy Reagan started the trend, first ladies have sat with “special guests” who serve as poster children for the particular themes that presidents emphasize as they address Congress and the nation each year. It’s a cynical practice, but an effective one, and President Obama’s first address to a joint session of Congress was…

  Feb 25, 2009 | 2 min read
• 
  Opinion

  The Apartheid of Love

  The California Supreme Court will hear legal arguments on March 5 about Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage that was approved in November by 52% of the state’s voters. The point of law at issue is whether or not Proposition 8 constitutes a legal revision to the state constitution. I am not a…

  By Denise L. Eger Feb 25, 2009 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  Saving Our Money for Madoff?

  Of all the shocks of the Bernie Madoff heist, perhaps none was more stunning than the list of victims. Among them were several Jewish foundations and many of our community’s most prominent nonprofits. The losses were staggering, and in some cases crippling. Yet the real Madoff scandal isn’t the losses; it’s that our community was…

  By Noam Neusner Feb 25, 2009 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  A Birthright in Mumbai

  On a recent month-long trip to India, we saw the expected: saris and kurtas of every color and design, magnificent Hindu and Buddhist temples, snow-capped Himalayan peaks and — of course — the breathtaking Taj Mahal. We also witnessed something totally unanticipated and completely improbable: the rejuvenation of Jewish life in India, a transformation due in…

  By Lynn Schusterman and Sandy Cardin Feb 25, 2009 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  Wonder Upon Wonder

  Here are some reasons, even in these gloomy times, to feel good. In Haifa, there’s a man named Hossam Haick. He’s all of 33 years old, and he is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Chemical Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Last September, he was honored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s…

  By Leonard Fein Feb 25, 2009 | 4 min read