Opinion

• Opinion

  The Torture of Abdul Hamid al-Ghizzawi

  Here is a thought experiment: Imagine what it would have meant for America today had these steps not been taken, had the military remained segregated. Plainly, and in addition to the continuing insult to black Americans and the reduced effectiveness of the military itself, the nation would be markedly disadvantaged on the world stage. The…

  By Leonard Fein

  3 min read
• Opinion

  Fool Me Once: Israel’s Moment

  Aftershocks will reverberate for months, if not years, from this week’s bombshell American intelligence report on Iranian nuclear ambitions. Whenever the dust finally settles, though, the news won’t be good. In the short run, the report effectively rules out a military strike against Iran. That’s a good thing, given the terrifying fallout — waves of…

  Dec 7, 2007 | 5 min read
• Letters

  December 7, 2007

  Partner Organizations Own Center’s Archives Regardless of whether a merger is desirable between New York University’s Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies and the Center for Jewish History, as Lawrence Shiffman and Elisheva Carlebach debate in opposing November 30 opinion articles, facts regarding ownership of the center’s resources and of its mission need clarification…

  Dec 7, 2007 | 2 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 There’s a shocking new report on civilian deaths in Gaza. If only it were accurate.

  

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

  

• Dan Perry Israel is not deliberately killing journalists in Gaza. But it does bear responsibility for their deaths

  

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

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  America Must Stay Focused on Pakistan

  The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been one of the most tragic confrontations in history, and last week’s summit in Annapolis was long overdue. But coming as it does at the end of a second-term presidency and involving two leaders deeply unpopular with their own people, the renewed peace process is likely to be an exercise in…

  By Akbar Ahmed Dec 5, 2007 | 4 min read
• Opinion

  My Parents Barely Knew About Shabbat

  My introduction to the world of Judaism began soon after my family moved to the United States, when I was enrolled in an Orthodox school for Russian immigrants. I was young, and the lectures seeped in quickly. Within months, I had learned all about the Torah, High Holy Day rituals and the importance of mitzvot…

  By Yulia Khabinsky Dec 5, 2007 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  Breaking the Code of Ritual Observance

  In a widely reproduced 1994 article, novelist and semiotician Umberto Eco famously argued that “Macintosh is Catholic and that DOS is Protestant.” In that spirit, and with apologies to the maestro, imagine for a moment the technological backbone of Jewish communal worship. The vast majority of it looks remarkably consistent, but around the edges there…

  By Shawn Landres Dec 5, 2007 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  No Alternative Destiny Less Complicated

  In the aftermath of last week’s surprisingly upbeat Annapolis meeting, all the talk’s about a two-state solution. The unwary may suppose that as soon as the domestic problems within Israel and among the Palestinians are resolved, the movement toward such a solution will be quite rapid. After all, we’ve been repeatedly told that the essential…

  By Leonard Fein Dec 5, 2007 | 4 min read
• Opinion

  Note to Our Readers

  The Forward newspaper and its editor in chief, J.J. Goldberg, announced this week that Goldberg is scaling back his editorial duties and assuming the newly created position of editorial director. Goldberg will continue to write the Forward’s editorials and oversee its overall editorial content, while other staff members will assume many of the management and…

  Dec 5, 2007 | < 1 min read
• Opinion

  Why Annapolis Worked

  In the end, the Annapolis peace conference proved to be far less than the cataclysmic, watershed event that its sharpest critics had predicted. It unfolded, to everyone’s surprise, with very little upheaval. And for that reason, it might yet turn out to be far more than the pointless flop anticipated by the world-weary wise men….

  Nov 30, 2007 | 4 min read
• Opinion

  Screaming Silence

  No discussion of Annapolis can be complete without considering the roles of the minor players inside and outside the assembly hall. These are the folks commonly spoken of as the supporting cast. A better term this time might be unsupporting cast. One of the most important roles was reserved for the foreign ministers of Arab…

  Nov 30, 2007 | 2 min read
• Letters

  November 30, 2007

  Israel Faces Difficult Decision on Refugees The dramatic headline and conclusion to a November 16 article ignores the very positive ongoing dialogue between Israel and American Jewish organizations (“Israel Turns Down Help on Darfur Refugees”). The article correctly notes that the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and a number of American Jewish organizations have offered their…

  Nov 30, 2007 | 3 min read