Opinion

• 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

  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

Columnists View All

• Alyssa Katz Class assignment: Get to know your murdered Jewish neighbors

  

• Rob Eshman Trump is backed into a corner on Iran. Get ready for him to start blaming Jews

  

• Dan Perry How Israel became a country where teenagers murder each other in cold blood

  

• Emily Tamkin American Jews have a Hasan Piker problem. Solving it is going to hurt

  

• Jay Michaelson Epstein and Iran are an antisemitism mega-crisis. Here’s what Jewish organizations should do about it. 

  

The Latest

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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
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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…

  By Peter Beinart Nov 5, 2018 | 3 min read
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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 –…

  By Kirsten Gillibrand Nov 5, 2018 | 3 min read
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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…

  By Bethany Mandel Nov 2, 2018 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  The Pittsburgh Killer And Kroger’s Gunman Didn’t Just Kill. They Stole Our Memory.

  As the names and ages of those lost in last week’s horrific massacre during Shabbat morning services at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue were released, one heartbreaking fact stood out: The victims were 11 worshippers, all between the ages of 54 and 97. The US Black community also lost two elders last week in a…

  By Rebecca Pierce Nov 1, 2018 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Calling Anti-Semites ‘White Nationalists’ Actually Gives Them Cover

  The mass murder of Jews at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh came as a shock. However, for anyone paying attention, it did not come as a surprise. And therein lies the problem. All too few have been paying attention to anti-Semitism. Among those who have failed to pay heed are the media, universities,…

  By John Efron Nov 1, 2018 | 5 min read