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
The Women’s March Is Victim Blaming. Again.
Last week, news broke that actress and #MeToo amplifier Alyssa Milano would not attend the next women’s march due to its leaders’ failure to dissociate with misogynist and anti-Semitic homophobe Louis Farrakhan. The story brought renewed attention to the controversy, causing the Women’s March to give a second, blame-shifting statement regarding Louis Farrakhan’s open bigotry…
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Opinion The Jewish Vote is Important – But Not In The Way You Think
For such a tiny group, we Jews sure manage to cause a ruckus. According to the Pew Research Center, Jewish adults make up a mere 2.2% of the U.S. population. And yet, as we head into another presidential cycle, there is already talk about the importance of the Jewish vote. Let’s step back and tackle…
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Opinion How Old Is Yiddish? It’s Not As Old As You Think.
The question of how old Yiddish is has long preoccupied Yiddishists. And as it turns out, it’s a question that’s deeply connected to the nature of Yiddish as a language. On the one hand, you have the Jewish-oriented approach, advocated by Max Weinreich, a 20th century Yiddishist, which sees in modern Yiddish an inheritor of…
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Opinion Mourning In Pittsburgh Is Jewish – And Political
Before October 27th, if anyone told us that Pittsburgh’s Jewish community would be thrust into the national spotlight as the target of the deadliest attack on Jews in American history, we would not have believed it. For the past two years, under the banner of Bend the Arc: Pittsburgh, we had been organizing locally in…
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Opinion What The Midterms Mean For Jews
One of the more remarkable aspects of the 2018 midterm returns is that they offer something to love and something to hate and fear for just about everyone — Democrats, Republicans, progressives, moderates, minorities and Jews. Especially Jews. Jewish voters, being overwhelmingly Democrats, are celebrating the party’s recapture of the House. They’re also disappointed at…
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Opinion Thank You, Alyssa Milano, For Standing Up To Hate In The Women’s March
When the actress and activist Alyssa Milano announced yesterday that she would not be speaking at the Women’s March until its leaders condemn Louis Farrakhan, I cried. Alyssa Milano says she will not speak at the next Women’s March as long as Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory remain a part of the leadership and refuse…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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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News Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s selection as JTS commencement speaker roils graduating class
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Film & TV A new documentary challenges stereotypes about Orthodox Jewish women — and their wigs
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News Analysis: As Democrats unite behind Platner, Schumer’s future as leader faces tests
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Fast Forward U of Michigan apologizes after faculty chair praises pro-Palestinian students during commencement speech