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
Women Of Color Who Criticize Israel Won Big. That’s Good For American Jews.
The United States midterm elections did not quite yield the much-anticipated “blue wave” that Democrats had hoped for. The Democrats flipped just enough seats to take back the House of Congress, while losing their most high-profile races, including Beto O’Rourke’s race in Texas and Andrew Gillum’s in Florida (Stacey Abrams in Georgia has not yet…
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Opinion Trump Has Bitterly Divided Us — And Election Offers No Easy Answers
The Democratic ripple that wasn’t quite a wave on Tuesday restored some balance to America’s dangerously lopsided political system. It ensures that at least one chamber of the Congress will fulfill its constitutional duties and serve as a genuine check on the executive branch. It broke some of the racial barriers and glass ceilings that…
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Opinion Anti-Semitism Is On The Ballot. Jews Must Vote No.
At no time in the last half century have American Jews had more of a reason to worry about their safety. As the campaign of Donald J. Trump gained momentum in 2016, the dark, wriggling fringes of the white nationalist right molted and spread new wings, incubated by a candidate who nursed their anger and…
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Opinion How Do Christians Forget What Their Faith Means When They Get In The Voting Booth?
A wide contingent of Americans say they are Christians. Left and Right, they say religious beliefs inform their political ones. But do their methods reflect any spiritual or scriptural grounding? Sticking to them. Bringing the fire. Owning them with your hot takes. That seems to be the preferred method of engaging in public debate. “Bring…
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Opinion Now, Show Up To Vote
A few weeks ago, before the American Jewish world was shattered by a madman filled with hate and armed with murderous weaponry, I had hoped to focus this time before the midterm elections on the need to consider voting a civic rite of passage worthy of celebration, especially for those doing it for the first…
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Opinion Don’t Be Fooled: The Left Only Cares About Palestinians If It Can Blame Israel
Anyone with even a passing interest in news from the Middle East will know that all over the region, undemocratic and repressive regimes use their security forces to suppress dissent. The Palestinian authorities in Gaza and the West Bank are no exception, as a recently released Human Rights Watch report documents. Considering that the report…
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Opinion Arming Synagogues Will Make Them Less Safe – For Black Jews. Stop Erasing Us.
The Jewish community isn’t going to forget Saturday, October 27, 2018 anytime soon. A gunman, armed with an AR-15, burst through the doors of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue. Shouting anti-Semitic slurs and exclaiming “All Jews must die,” he opened fire, killing 11 members of our community who had gathered to pray and celebrate Shabbat….
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Opinion In The Wake Of Pittsburgh, We Can’t Let Anti-Semitism Define Us
When one enters a house of mourning to pay a condolence call, Jewish tradition posits that one waits for the mourners to initiate the conversation. If the mourners wish to just sit silently, so too are we supposed to sit silently with them. If they have no words for you, that’s fine. This visit is…
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Opinion Blaming ‘Both Sides’ For Political Rage Is Ignorant – And Immoral
I logged onto Twitter on Saturday night to find a message from Alan Dershowitz. “The both sides argument is always proper,” he tweeted. “Blaming only one side— the “other” side— is too easy. The shoe on the other foot test requires that you condemn your side’s bigots along with their side’s.” “Shootings at places of…
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Opinion Opinion | Senator Kristen Gillibrand: America Must Be Safe For Jews
Just over a week ago, an avowed anti-Semite walked into a synagogue here in the United States, armed with a weapon designed for soldiers at war, and murdered 11 Jews while they were praying on the Sabbath. The extraordinary violence was as shocking as it was heartbreaking, but the anger that fueled the violence –…
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Opinion Trump’s Angry Pittsburgh Response Killed GOP Chance Of Midterms Victory
In the aftermath of the terrible synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, President Trump has been forced to figure out how to respond sensitively while also campaigning for the looming midterm elections. In a world in which 71% of Jews vote for Democrats, many of whom have decided to leverage this tragedy into a political call to…
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Sports First Puka Nacua, now Mookie Betts: Why do sports stars keep getting antisemitic around a Jewish streamer?
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Fast Forward After MIT professor’s killing, Jewish influencers spread unverified antisemitism claim
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Politics This politician refused to say ‘Happy Hanukkah,’ then blamed ‘political correctness’ for the backlash
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Culture We tried to fix Hallmark’s Hanukkah problem. Here’s the movie we made instead
In Case You Missed It
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Yiddish אַ בריוועלע דער מאַמען (זכרונות)A letter to my mother (memoirs)
בעת דער מחבר איז געלעגן אין אַ סאָוועטישן מיליטערישן שפּיטאָל האָט זײַן מאַמע זיך פֿאַרמאָסטן קעגן דעם אַסימילירטן ייִדישן הויפּט־דאָקטער
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Fast Forward 2 men found guilty in UK of plotting Islamic State-inspired antisemitic terror attack
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Fast Forward Self-appointed chief rabbi of Saudi Arabia says he was denied entry at border
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Fast Forward Coast Guard again retracts policy that would downgrade swastika as hate symbol, clearing path for new leader’s confirmation
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