Opinion

• Opinion

  Editorial | Bernie Sanders is making a mistake. He should speak at AIPAC.

  I’m going to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference in Washington next week, and Senator Bernie Sanders should too. I’m not going because I agree with everything AIPAC says or does — of course not. I’m going because it’s the largest annual gathering of American Jews, a group that Sanders says he is…

  By Jodi Rudoren

  4 min read
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  Opinion

  100 women accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse. Today, their voices were heard.

  In October of 2017, Alyssa Milano used the #MeToo hashtag, coined by Tarana Burke in 2006, to respond to sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. Two years after the hashtag went viral and 30 years after the first allegation of sexual assault against him, Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of criminal sexual act in…

  By Mia Brett Feb 24, 2020 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Letter | They don’t hate us because we have ‘dual loyalties.’ They hate us because we’re Jews

  Dear Editor, In a recent opinion piece in this paper, an anonymous writer complained that American Jewish schools are “preaching dual loyalty to Israel.” This was quickly followed up by a response whose author proudly waved the red, white and blue. While they both made important points in their own way, they each equally missed…

  By Matthew Engler Feb 24, 2020 | 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 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’s new gift to the far right could help end the Gaza war

  

• Emily Tamkin Entering motherhood — and an obsession with the works of an Italian Jewish literary hero

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Russia has killed more Syrian civilians than ISIS. Why are they getting away with it?

  When Aaref Watad, a Syrian photographer, arrived at the scene of a recent Russian air force attack in western Aleppo, he found a car completely pierced by shrapnel and nine corpses. Four of them were children. The bodies belonged to a family that had been fleeing Aleppo for the Turkish border along with thousands of…

  By Elizabeth Tsurkov Feb 24, 2020 | 7 min read
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  Opinion

  Debate | Is Bernie Sanders good for the Jews?

  After sailing to victory in Saturday’s Nevada caucus, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has emerged as the clear frontrunner in the race for the democratic presidential nomination. It’s a historic moment for American Jews; Sanders is the first Jew to get this far. But American Jewish voters could hardly be more divided over his success. For…

  By Ari Hoffman and Joel Swanson Feb 24, 2020 | 12 min read
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  Opinion

  My Jewish day school taught me that we are part of the American story

  In a recent opinion piece in these pages, an anonymous teacher wrote that Jewish schools are teaching students dual-loyalty to Israel. This was not my experience. I graduated from Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy in ‘03 and Yeshiva University Boys High school of Los Angeles or YULA in ‘07. These were Modern Orthodox Jewish day schools….

  By Isaac Himmelman Feb 23, 2020 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  I’ve taught at six Jewish day schools. They’re preaching dual loyalty to Israel.

  The Forward is publishing this article anonymously to protect the author, who currently teaches at a New York day school, from repercussions at work. A recent survey by the Anti-Defamation League found that nearly a quarter of Americans believe American Jews are more loyal to Israel than to the United States. Based on my experience…

  By Anonymous Feb 21, 2020 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  The Jewish establishment once expelled communists. Now Jewish socialists are having the last laugh.

  Despite the fact that Wednesday’s Democratic debate in Las Vegas was the first debate to feature both Jewish presidential contenders, the word “Jewish” was not mentioned once. On top of that, neither Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders nor former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg took the opportunity to discuss their very different relationships to their…

  By Joel Swanson Feb 20, 2020 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  How hitting Bloomberg on Stop and Frisk could backfire with Black voters

  Going into Wednesday night’s pre-caucus debate in Nevada, former New York City mayor and current presidential contender Michael Bloomberg must have know he’d get grilled over “Stop and Frisk”, the policy implemented during his time as mayor whereby young Black and Latino men were regularly thrown up against a wall by police absent any justification….

  By Charles D. Ellison Feb 20, 2020 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Bernie Sanders says he’s proud to be Jewish. Will Jewish voters care?

  “I am very proud of being Jewish and that is an essential part of who I am as a human being,” Vermont Senator and presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders says in a new campaign ad he tweeted this weekend on the subject of his Jewishness. It signaled the latest evidence of a marked change from 2016,…

  By Alex Zeldin Feb 19, 2020 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Q&A | Meet Becca Heller, the warrior taking on Trump’s Muslim ban

  Earlier this month, the Trump administration settled a lawsuit with over 300 refugees whose applications were held up by a series of executive orders, including the “Muslim ban” of 2017. Back in January, a federal judge temporarily blocked another executive order that would have allowed states counties to refuse to receive refugees. In both of…

  By Virginia Jeffries Feb 18, 2020 | 4 min read