Opinion

• Opinion

  Pittsburgh’s Lessons For America In 2019

  On New Year’s Eve 2018 the rain came down on Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill as if to wash away the tragic memories of October 27. The mass shooting at the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation synagogue was the most deadly anti-Semitic attack in America in recent years. But it led to an outpouring of solidarity from…

  By Dan Friedman

  3 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Does No One Care That Neo-Nazis Are Gaining Power In Ukraine?

  I can’t count the number of times I’ve been told Ukraine doesn’t really have a problem with its far-right. It’s all Kremlin propaganda; you’re personally helping Putin by talking about it; other countries have far-right problems too, so why single out Ukraine? I’ve heard it all. But I expect hear even more lines like this…

  By Michael Colborne Dec 31, 2018 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  This Palestinian Was Tortured. But No One Cares Because It Wasn’t By Israel.

  Issam Aqel, a Palestinian-American with Israeli residency, has been detained, arrested and tortured. You may be surprised that you’ve never heard of Aqel. It’s usual for the plight of the Palestinians to make big news. But the ugly truth is, they only make big news when they’ve been hurt by Israel. And Aqel was tortured…

  By Shoshanna Keats-Jaskoll Dec 31, 2018 | 5 min read

Columnists View All

• Jay Michaelson What can really be done to prevent antisemitic attacks like Bondi Beach?

  

• Rob Eshman Australia shooting terrifies Jews worldwide — and strengthens the case for Israel

  

• Nora Berman Did crypto-Jews invent the modern tarot deck?

  

• Dan Perry The 3 responses to the Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack that could make Jews safer

  

• Emily Tamkin The fundamental miscalculation behind the GOP’s antisemitism crisis

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Mourning Amos Oz In Jerusalem, Where Even The Stones Seem To Weep

  It is strange to learn of Amos Oz’s death while in Jerusalem, on the eve of Shabbat, as the dull winter cold descends on the city still drenched from yesterday’s downpour. It’s as if the sky is grieving, the stones are crying. A native son is gone. Oz, who died earlier today at 79, was…

  By Jane Eisner Dec 28, 2018 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Roundtable | White Jews: Here Is What Black Jews Need From You In 2019

  I’ve never felt fully welcome in Jewish spaces. I’ve never felt like I truly belonged. This is common among Black Jews. There’s a subset of us that just wish to proceed in the Jewish world unbothered, and to continue our Jewish lives as we see fit, apart from the assumptions and stereotypes assigned to us…

  By Bentley Addison Dec 28, 2018 | 5 min read
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  Letters

  Letter To The Editor

  Dear Editor, As a proud member of the search committee, I found Josh Nathan-Kazis’ Dec. 19 piece about the selection of Lonnie Nasatir as President-Elect of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago to be a missed opportunity to highlight an exciting and pivotal moment in the Chicago Jewish community. The search process was…

  By David Sherman Dec 27, 2018 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  The Women’s March Is An Abusive Boyfriend. It’s Time To Break Up.

  Criticism against the Women’s March has been percolating in Jewish spaces for a while now. From March leader Tamika Mallory’s closeness with Louis Farrakhan, the anti-Semitic leader of the Nation of Islam, to the March’s failure to include Jewish women in its “Unity Principles” to the recent revelation that Mallory and another leader, Carmen Perez,…

  By Ariel Sobel Dec 27, 2018 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Your Racism Is Showing When You Tear Down The Women’s March

  I have never been an ardent supporter of the Women’s March. The trans-exclusionary elements of the march, including the famous pink pussy hats, coupled with Tamika Mallory’s embrace of Louis Farrakhan — unacceptable for a leader of a national movement — meant that as a black Jewish woman who abhors trans-exclusionary feminism, the Women’s March…

  By Nylah Burton Dec 27, 2018 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Memo To Left Wing Activists: Israel Is Not Black And White

  In 2012, I was an Israel Fellow of the Jewish Agency at the Hillel at The University of Pennsylvania. One day, I arrived at the university to see a beautiful exhibition spread across the center of campus. Thousands of small white flags were planted in the ground interspersed with just a few blue ones. I…

  By Nave Dromi Dec 26, 2018 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Walking Off Birthright? Check Your Privilege

  The activist group IfNotNow has a webpage devoted to arranging disruptions of Birthright trips. At notjustafreetrip.com you can sign up with them if you’re attending a Birthright trip and fill out a form letting them know what kind of support you need. One of the options is, “I want to take action on my trip.”…

  By Ariel Sobel Dec 26, 2018 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Young Anti-Zionists: Be Uncomfortable, Like I Am With My Zionism

  Last week I received an email from a woman I have never met. She told me she had lived in Israel earlier in her life and that, while critical of some of its policies, loves the country in ways she can scarcely express. Then she outlined her problem: Her niece has declared herself an anti-Zionist….

  By Peter Beinart Dec 26, 2018 | 6 min read