Opinion

• Opinion

  After Pittsburgh Shooting, Black Jews Feel Isolated From The Jewish Community

  On October 27, 11 Jews were murdered at the hands of a white nationalist named Robert Bowers. When I heard the news of this horrific defilement, I felt paralyzed with fear and despair. I cried and said Kaddish, the prayer for the dead, as my partner held me. Upon hearing the news of the attack,…

  By Nylah Burton

  4 min read
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  Opinion

  Democrats Won. So Why Are They Crying ‘No Fair’?

  In regular times, what happened last night would put a bounce in the step of members of both parties. There was something for everyone. Neither party had a giant night but neither party took a shellacking either. It should have been a moment of happiness for both sides. But we’re not in regular times. The…

  By Karol Markowicz Nov 7, 2018 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  What The Midterm ‘Blue Splash’ Means For American Democracy

  Soon after election night began, Democrats nervously watching election results started to have disconcerting recollections of 2016. Panic ensued. In Florida, Andrew Gillum and Senator Bill Nelson, the Democratic candidates for Governor and U.S. Senate, respectively, began falling behind as more election precincts reported in their results. Trump-enthusiast Ron DeSantis was declared the winner of…

  By Abe Silberstein Nov 7, 2018 | 3 min read

Columnists View All

• Alyssa Katz As editor-in-chief, I’m finding my way Forward (and back)

  

• Rob Eshman The real reason for the US war with Iran may have nothing to do with Israel

  

• Dan Perry In 3 days, Israel and the US reshaped the Middle East

  

• Emily Tamkin Gavin Newsom just confirmed the demise of the Democratic party’s support for Israel

  

• Jay Michaelson We are talking past one another on Zionism

  

The Latest

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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…

  By Batya Ungar-Sargon Nov 7, 2018 | 6 min read
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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…

  By Jane Eisner Nov 7, 2018 | 3 min read
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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…

  By Leo Ferguson Nov 6, 2018 | 5 min read
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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…

  By Jennifer Gumbel Nov 6, 2018 | 3 min read
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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…

  By Jane Eisner Nov 6, 2018 | 5 min read
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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…

  By Petra Marquardt-Bigman Nov 5, 2018 | 5 min read
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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….

  By Bentley Addison Nov 5, 2018 | 5 min read
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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…

  By Deborah E. Lipstadt Nov 5, 2018 | 5 min read