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
Jews of Color deserve an accurate count
This weekend, eJewishPhilanthropy, the main online publication supporting the Jewish professional world, published an essay by demographers of American Jewish life, Ira M. Sheskin and Arnold Dashefsky, “How Many Jews of Color Are There?” which was republished in the Forward. The essay, a preview a chapter in their forthcoming “American Jewish Yearbook”, concludes that we…
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Opinion Will Jewish denominations survive the pandemic? 30 Rabbis weigh in.
Last week, the Union for Reform Judaism announced it was laying off 20% of its staff, citing an existential threat to their organization and their denomination as a whole in the wake of the economic crash caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, head of the URJ, said he is considering the…
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Opinion How many Jews of color are there? Fewer than you think.
This article originally appeared in eJewishphilanthropy. It is based on information presented in Chapter five of the 2019 American Jewish Year Book 2019, eds. Arnold Dashefsky and Ira M. Sheskin., vol. 119, Cham Switzerland: Springer, due out in June. You can read a response to this article by Professor Ari Kelman, who disputes the claims…
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Opinion Enough doom and gloom: History shows American Judaism is much more resilient than you think
Last week, in the wake of the economic downturn caused by Covid-19 as well as losses from cancelling its summer camp season, the Union for Reform Judaism announced it would be firing sixty employees, furloughing others, and reducing all staff salaries. Jewish professionals across the country, reeling from projected losses throughout Jewish organizational life, immediately…
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Opinion Pompeo just saved Netanyahu’s tuchus on annexation
There is much speculation about why Secretary of State Mike Pompeo chose to visit Israel this week amidst a worldwide pandemic. Management of relations with an ally – especially with one of the few countries that has benefited from having Trump in office, as opposed to a more traditional or normal administration – did not…
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Opinion I hate Zoom Havdalah!
I hate Zoom Havdalah! There, I said it. I also hate Zoom Kabbalat Shabbat, Zoom Seders, and Facebook Live events. Of course, at the beginning of this nightmare, we desperately needed Zoom Havdalah. For those insanely dark April days, seeing each other even in a small virtual square was practically the only thing keeping us…
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Opinion We are opening our summer camp
Every morning, as I begin my day, I scan my phone for the list. I’m not looking at my shopping list or my to-do list. I’m checking the updated list of summer camps that have decided to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not me. I’m the director of Oregon NCSY. And as of this…
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Opinion Letter | Our ADL audit shows anti-Semitism doesn’t pick sides
Dear Editor, In his recent article, Joel Swanson has parsed our new data on anti-Semitic incidents carefully and accurately, but he is wrong to conclude that the ADL Audit proves that anti-Semitism writ large is dominated by the right, or that left-wing campus anti-Semitism is fake news. I say this for two reasons. First, as…
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Opinion Let the pandemic be a time when we learn to grieve together and fight hate
When we step out of our homes in the morning, we assume we will come home at the end of the day. We leave a crockpot with dinner cooking on the counter. We have laundry we’ll fold or bills we’ll pay or a Netflix binge waiting. On February 23, Ahmad Aubrey went out for a…
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Opinion Investigate de Blasio for reprehensible yeshiva ‘deal’
This week, publicly released emails from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office revealed that City Hall interfered in the city Department of Education’s investigation into whether several dozen Hasidic and ultra-Orthodox yeshivas were providing at least the minimum standard of education required by law. According to the emails, first reported on by the New York Post,…
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Opinion What will the rabbinate look like after COVID?
In many ways, rabbis serve as the first spiritual responders for Jewish communities; we are often the first place people turn in moments of crisis. As the leader of the organization that represents Reform rabbis worldwide, I’ve seen firsthand the key role rabbis have played in leading Jewish communities nationwide as they adjust to radically…
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Fast Forward Unarmed man who tackled Bondi Beach Hanukkah attacker identified as Ahmed al-Ahmed
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Opinion I grew up believing Australia was the best place to be Jewish. This Hanukkah shooting forces a reckoning I do not want.
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Fast Forward Hanukkah shooting leaves at least 15 dead at Australia’s most popular beach
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Fast Forward Father and son suspects in Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack identified as Sajid and Naveed Akram by law enforcement
In Case You Missed It
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Yiddish רבנישע כּתבֿים ווײַזן אומגעריכטע פֿאַרבינדונגען צווישן ייִדיש און לאַדינאָRabbinical texts reveal surprising links between Yiddish and Ladino
לויט אַ נײַ בוך פֿאָרשונגען האָבן טראַדיציאָנאַליסטן אין ביידע עדות געהאַלטן, אַז ייִדן מוזן אָפּהיטן זייער גערעדט לשון
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Opinion Why Poland’s president canceled his menorah lighting — and how the West helped make that happen
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Fast Forward 4 House Democrats introduce bill that would enact progressive vision for fighting antisemitism
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Yiddish אַ ייִדיש־רעדנדיק קינד דאַרף אַ „שטעטל“׃ ווי עלטערן קומען זיי אַנטקעגןIt takes a village to raise a child in Yiddish: How parents are doing it
מחוץ די חסידישע קרײַזן האָבן געוויסע עלטערן געשאַפֿן זייערע אייגענע ייִדיש־סבֿיבֿות
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