In the Forward’s opinion section, you’ll find analysis and essays from diverse corners of the Jewish world.
To pitch an opinion piece, email our Opinion Editor, Talya Zax.
Opinion
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Opinion
25 Years After Oslo, Palestinians Don’t Trust Hamas — Or The PA
Earlier this month, senior Hamas leader and member of Parliament Atef Odwan posted a poll on Facebook that consisted of a single yes-or-no question: “Would you re-elect [PA President Mahmoud Abbas]?” The results were more or less predetermined, since Odwan’s page is frequented mainly by Hamas supporters, and because Abbas is perhaps the most frowned…
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Opinion How Jewish Geography Excludes Jews of Color
This is the story of how a game taught a young, Black Jewish girl that she didn’t belong. The game is Jewish Geography. The young girl is me. Urban Dictionary defines the diasporic pastime of “Jewish Geography” as what happens when “two or more Jews get together and discuss who knows whose Jewish friends and…
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Opinion Michael Steinhardt’s #MeToo Scandal Is All About Jewish Continuity
Stay tuned for an alternative take on this topic from Forward Editor-in-Chief Jane Eisner. On Wednesday night, the New York Jewish Week published an article outlining accusations of sexual misbehavior against Jewish billionaire and Taglit-Birthright Israel founder Michael Steinhardt. Some of the accusations are classics of the sexual harassment genre. For example, a lawsuit accused…
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Letters Israel Doesn’t Need More Or Less Religion — It Needs More Jewish Culture
Dear Editor, I have followed with interest the debate in these pages over recent weeks between the secular Einat Wilf and Ram Vromen and the Reform Rabbi Gilad Kariv over the proper place for Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israeli society. While each of the authors make several valid points, they all have several blind…
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Opinion The Media Shaming Of Julia Salazar
Julia Salazar is probably the most talked-about candidate for state Senate in recent New York history. But how the 27-year-old, first-time, socialist candidate, whose North Brooklyn district goes to the polls Thursday, became a household name, is a sorry tale of a media frenzy that has completely eclipsed the office she’s seeking. Some of it…
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Opinion Please Leave Politics Out Of Your High Holiday Sermons
Almost ten years ago, I was living in Cambodia in the tourist city of Siem Reap, home of the Angkor Wat temple complex, teaching fifth grade to local gifted Cambodian students. It was an incredible experience — except spiritually. I felt completely isolated from anything resembling a Jewish community. This was right at the cusp…
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Opinion Why Did We Stop Talking About Standing Rock?
In 2016, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe ignited an indigenous rights movement that captured the world’s attention. At Standing Rock, hundreds of indigenous groups and nonindigenous allies gathered to resist the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline and the havoc it would wreak on the health of both the environment and the members of the…
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Letters If You Don’t Believe In Judaism, Don’t Call Yourself A Jew
Dear Editor, I recently read Jane Eisner’s Forward editorial, “Is There A Future For Jews Without Judaism?.” I never thought that I was that hardcore of a Conservative, but upon reading the piece, I could not help having a definite response. I could not figure out why anyone who ditched the Jewish religion entirely would…
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Opinion Alan Dershowitz: I Am Not A Mouthpiece For Trump
The Forward falsely described me as an “informal adviser” to President Trump and as a “conservative.” I am neither. I am an objective commentator who has publicly criticized many of Trump’s policies, including on immigration, revocation of security clearances, Charlottesville and other issues. I have defended his civil liberties in precisely the same way I…
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Opinion Who Are The Jews Of France? Their Last Names Give A Clue
In my previous article, I wrote about the mysterious Jews of Italy, who seem to be neither Ashkenazi nor Sephardi. So it was natural to turn to a neighboring West European country, France, where the history of the Jewish communities is also quite non-linear. These communities pose a similar difficulty to the simplistic and popular…
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Opinion Trump’s Attack Against Palestinians Like Me Is An Attack Against All Refugees
As soon as the State Department released its official statement announcing its plan to cut off aid to the Palestinians and limit the definition of “refugee” to first generation Palestinians last week, journalists and political analysts starting contacting me. They all asked me the same questions: What does this mean for Palestinians? What do you…
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Opinion During WWII, a heroic Jewish lawyer warned against the dangers of a dual state — is it coming true in Trump’s America?
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News Ronnie Eldridge was one of NYC’s toughest political minds
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