In the Forward’s opinion section, you’ll find analysis and essays from diverse corners of the Jewish world.
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Opinion
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Opinion
On Kristallnacht, the world ignored Jewish suffering. Today, we risk repeating this mistake
On the way to school, 10-year-old Ruth Winkelmann saw Nazi stormtroopers painting a Star of David onto the back of a religious Jew’s coat. In an interview with the BBC, Ruth said: “I thought, ‘My dad is with me and nothing bad can happen to me,’ but it was a very disturbing sight, and I…
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Opinion Growing up in Israel, I had never heard of Rabbi Sacks. After his death, I fell in love with his message
In Nov. 2020, I came across a minor story on an inside page of an Israeli newspaper, reporting that Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom “and one of the most important thinkers of our time,” had passed away. I had never come across his name before, so I thought that…
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Opinion The Jewish mayor of Minneapolis won reelection. Is it good for the Jews?
A shorthand voters’ guide for Tuesday’s mayoral election in Minneapolis could have defined the choice of candidates as left, left and lefter. The winner, incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey, was one of the lefts, even if he ran to the right. “For Minneapolis, Jacob Frey is a Republican,” Carin Mrotz, executive director of Minnesota’s Jewish Community…
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Opinion A German tabloid called me antisemitic. It cost me my job. Now, it’s my turn to speak
This piece originally appeared in German in Berliner Zeitung. English translation by Léon Dische Becker. A psychologist recently introduced me to the concept of “learned helplessness.” It describes what I’ve experienced in the past few weeks: moments of pure panic that left me frozen in the moment, unable to breathe. I was living in fear…
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Opinion Old antisemitic tropes found new life in Phoenix
On Oct. 29, a video emerged of an anti-vaxxer ranting at a local school board meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, where she used a public comment period to espouse hateful conspiracies about Jews, whom she accused of controlling the pharmaceutical industry. Her accusations dripped with many of the classic conspiratorial tropes that have dogged Jews for…
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Opinion The ‘tomahawk chop’ is racist. So why are my fellow Jews still supporting it?
At Shabbat dinner Frank LaMere, a HoChunk Nation Elder and lifelong Native American Rights Activist, implored those gathered to “do something about those Braves.” I hosted this particular Shabbat dinner in Atlanta in 2016 at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. The event featured Native and Jewish leaders as well as elected officials….
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Opinion Divorcing your husband is tough. Separating from your synagogue is harder
For me, family and synagogue have always been intertwined. Growing up with unhappy parents, shul became a refuge where I felt contained and coddled by ancient stories and unchanging rituals. I looked forward to raising my own children with a close connection to a congregation. However, when I married a resolutely secular Israeli, he made…
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Opinion Sunrise DC hurts Jewish progressives like us — but not in the way you think
“You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” This quote from Pirkei Avot is recited so often among Jewish activists that it can feel like a cliche. Many of us have heard it in moments of exhaustion, pessimism or despondence. Last month, Sunrise DC, a local…
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Opinion Conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism erases the violence Orthodox Jews like me face
A lot of antisemitism — perhaps even most — has little or nothing to do with the State of Israel. While anti-Zionism often serves as a helpful cover for overt bigots, conflating the two not only misunderstands and misstates the problem, but is also dangerous. Last week, the American Jewish Committee published a survey about…
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Opinion Henry Kissinger wasn’t bad for Israel — he helped save it
Kissinger was a skilled statesman whose diplomatic strategy helped Israel in fundamental ways
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Opinion Sunrise DC was wrong. But liberal Jewish groups remain complicit in occupation
From the moment the statement dropped on Twitter, it was entirely predictable what would happen next. After Sunrise DC announced they were withdrawing from a voting rights coalition because of the participation of three major Jewish organizations on Tuesday, Oct. 19, many leaders in the Jewish community labeled Sunrise DC’s behavior as antisemitic, which major…
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