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
Stop Invoking Heschel To Silence Black Jews
When it comes to issues of race and racism, we live in tumultuous, conflict-ridden times. Often in the media and sometimes in our daily lives, we don’t see positive examples of cross-racial or cross-cultural solidarity. So it’s understandable that we would highlight the positive examples of this solidarity when we’re given the opportunity to do…
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Opinion Take Note, Women’s March: Jewish Existence Is Resistance
I agonized over what to write on my poster for the Women’s March this Saturday. The past year has been a see-saw of Women’s March leaders claiming to stand against anti-Semitism and homophobia, then regularly promoting it. They say they disagree with anti-Semitic and homophobic statements, but will not condemn them specifically. When asked about…
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Opinion Your Anti-BDS Crusade Hurts Jews
“Congress Trying to Use Spending Bill to Criminalize Boycotts of Israel.” “Texas Speech Pathologist Fired for Refusing to Pledge Not to Boycott Israel.” “Prominent Black Activist Denied Civil Rights Award Because She Supports BDS.” Headlines like these reveal the disturbing consequences of the American Jewish communal establishment’s unhealthy obsession with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions…
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Opinion Bernie Sanders Has To Run – To Make Democrats More Critical Of Israel
There are plenty of reasons for Bernie Sanders not to run for president. He’s an old white guy who may have trouble generating enthusiasm from people of color and women, especially after the recent revelations of sexism in his 2016 campaign. Of all the potential Democratic nominees, he’s the one most likely to prompt a…
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Opinion Don’t Believe The Hype. 2020 Won’t Be About Israel.
There’s a narrative emerging on the left that’s surprising only because it’s so commonplace on the right: the idea that the Democratic Party is abandoning Israel. Thus, when freshmen congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar came out in support of the boycott effort against Israel, known as BDS, you saw commentary from Republicans jubilant that…
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Opinion I’m A Settler Who Opposes The Security Barrier – And The New ‘Apartheid Road’
Entering Jerusalem from the Shomron area in the West Bank this morning, my navigation system took me on a new path that I had never driven down before. Although new to me, this road has been getting a lot of media attention, dubbed by some as “the Apartheid road” because it runs side by side…
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Opinion Can This Man Revitalize Israeli Journalism?
Even several decades ago, it became clear to a lot of very smart people that traditional journalism was in trouble. Newspaper circulation was shrinking. Trust in media was endangered. Long before the complete meltdown in advertising, the competition online, the advent of “fake news,” there was a sense that journalism was disconnecting from its essential…
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Opinion Jewish Women Should Join Us At The Women’s March, Despite Our Mistakes
Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968 and the first black candidate on a major party’s presidential ticket in 1972, once famously quipped, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” Representing the voices of women that have been marginalized at the decision-making…
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Opinion I’m a Sephardic Latina With An Intersectional Identity. That’s Why I Oppose The Women’s March.
This coming Saturday, thousands of women across America will be marching in the 2019 Women’s March. But unlike the first march, many Jewish women have pledged not to attend this year, thanks to the March leaders’ ties to the anti-Semitic head of Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, and other reports of anti-Jewish sentiment. Still, social…
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Opinion Why Is The Pro-Israel Right So Threatened By Black Jews?
One of the responses to the horrific massacre of 11 praying Jews this fall was a call for more firearms in synagogues. From Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams to New York State Assemblyman Dov Hilkind to President Trump himself, many called for an increased presence of armed guards at Jewish places of worship. But not…
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Opinion Why Do Jews Keep Tearing Down Black Leaders?
Tamika Mallory. Marc Lamont Hill. Alice Walker. Angela Davis. Every week seems to bring with it another black leader running afoul of the Jewish community — and an angry, effective response. Mallory’s refusal to denounce the notorious anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan, a man she had previously praised, led Jewish activists to call for her to resign…
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News Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s selection as JTS commencement speaker roils graduating class
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Opinion How Israel became a country where teenagers murder each other in cold blood
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Sports NBA coach Steve Kerr: ‘Israel sought revenge for Oct. 7 and now 72,000 Palestinians have been killed’
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Film & TV A new documentary challenges stereotypes about Orthodox Jewish women — and their wigs
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Books A New Jersey congregation was already falling apart. Then came Oct 7.
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Fast Forward After a Maryland teacher’s death, her 200-piece Judaica collection finds new life in a Jewish museum
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Fast Forward British Green Party candidate tweeted about killing Zionists from Anne Frank parody account