In the Forward’s opinion section, you’ll find analysis and essays from diverse corners of the Jewish world.
To pitch an opinion piece, email our Opinion Editor, Talya Zax.
Opinion
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Opinion
From Russia With Lessons in Transnational Jewish Identity-Building
What do pork stores in Israel, mass Jewish immigration to Germany and Las Vegas-style shows in Yiddish on the grounds of the Kremlin have in common? All reflect the complex reality of post-Soviet Russian Jewry that has long puzzled much of the rest of the Jewish world. It has been nearly 20 years since the…
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Opinion Putting Politics Above Healing
I was heartbroken to learn of the recent decision by the Palestinian Authority to cease allowing Palestinians to be treated at Israeli hospitals, including Hadassah’s two hospitals in Jerusalem. From the day we began bringing Western medical care to the Middle East in 1913 until today, Hadassah’s policy has been to provide medical care for…
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Opinion What Makes This Column Jewish?
A persistent commenter on the Forward’s Web site dependably complains whenever I write a column that does not deal explicitly with matters Jewish. As he puts it, “Being a Jew in America and viewing events from the point of view of a Jewish identity is a Jewish experience. Being an American in America and viewing…
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Letters March 20, 2009
Nothing Selfish About Rabbi’s Cancer Plea Your article singling out Rabbi Michael Lerner for a letter he sent regarding his cancer was baffling (“Tikkun’s Founder: ‘I Have Cancer,’ Give to My Cause,” March 13). Why would you consider it newsworthy to try to put down a devout and caring rabbi for writing a letter to…
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Opinion Protect the Children
New York State Assemblywoman Marge Markey’s introduction to what has become a cause in her legislative life occurred a few years ago, when someone arrived at her home to ask for assistance from her and her husband, a judge. The person said he was sexually abused as a child, and Markey discovered that the more…
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Opinion Saving Tibet
When the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum opened to the public 26 years ago, the very first visitor was the Dalai Lama of Tibet. The Buddhist leader prayed for the millions killed in the Holocaust and decried the “evil” that led to their destruction. That first visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum was not the…
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Opinion Why We Give
President Obama’s plan to limit the tax deductions for charitable contributions by wealthy Americans is a clumsy way to reach a laudable goal. Clumsy, because it adds a new level of complexity and unfairness to a tax system that is already far too complex and inequitable. It will undoubtedly lead to some reduction in charitable…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Opinion The Iran war ended terribly for the US, and even worse for Israel
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Film & TV In ‘Disclosure Day,’ Steven Spielberg finds himself at odds with Jewish thought about aliens
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Opinion Cultural boycotts of Israel just reached peak absurdity
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Culture ‘My mayor Muslim, my bagel Jewish’ — the Knicks chant capturing New York’s soul
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