Opinion

• Opinion

  It’s Time To Stop Singing Shlomo Carlebach’s Songs

  I can’t walk into any synagogue in America – and barely any synagogue in the world – without hearing songs written by the man who sexually assaulted my mother. That’s because my mom is one of the many of girls and young women whom Shlomo Carlebach sexually harassed, assaulted or abused while he traveled the…

  By Sharon Rose Goldtzvik

  4 min read
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  Opinion

  Should We Still Be Singing Shlomo Carlebach’s Songs In The #MeToo Era?

  Though Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach has been dead for nearly as long as I’ve been alive, his music and ethos still echo throughout American Jewish communal life and liturgy. Carlebach’s music is almost childishly simple, often utilizing only a few easy chords and repeating a few short verses in Hebrew. In the right environment, it can…

  By Laura E. Adkins Dec 7, 2017 | 9 min read
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  Opinion

  I Was An IDF Soldier During The First Intifada. It Changed Me Forever

  This Saturday marks an important anniversary in Israeli history: 30 years since the First Intifada. For years leading up to the Intifada, which literally means dustup or uprising in Arabic, Israel had maintained Gaza as a pool of cheap labor. Tension had been building since 1985, when Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s “iron fist” policy resulted…

  By Ori Weisberg Dec 7, 2017 | 4 min read

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• Nora Berman She’s a titan of Israeli architecture. Her story contains troubling lessons for her country

  

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• Emily Tamkin Passover teaches us why Jews should stand with Mahmoud Khalil

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Why Trump’s Jerusalem Gambit Will Only Hurt Israel

  On its face, Donald Trump’s speech on Wednesday announcing that America would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital seemed entirely reasonable. “Today,” he declared, “We finally acknowledge the obvious. That Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality.” Yes, Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. That is obvious. But something else…

  By Peter Beinart Dec 6, 2017 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  When It Comes To Jerusalem, Trump Needs To Learn How To Share

  Welcome back to Jane Looking Forward. If you wish to continue reading this weekly newsletter, please subscribe here. And spread the word! Donald Trump promised that he would move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as one of his earliest acts as president. Like so very many things this man has said…

  By Jane Eisner Dec 5, 2017 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Will The Flynn-Kushner-Israel Sideshow Hurt American Jews?

  Because he’s playing three-dimensional chess, it’s easy to forget what special prosecutor Robert Mueller is really after. He’s investigating the suspicion that the Donald Trump for President campaign actively colluded with Russia in its effort to undermine the election. Everything else is secondary to that investigation. Anyone incidentally run over by that train is just…

  By J.J. Goldberg Dec 5, 2017 | 5 min read
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  Opinion

  Jared Kushner Was Wrong To Undermine America — Even To Help Israel

  I am not certain which is more troubling: reading reports that Jared Kushner — before he became the most powerful Jew in the White House, when he was just the president-elect’s powerful son-in-law — secretly worked to persuade Russia to defy the Obama administration and stop a United Nations resolution condemning Israel for its settlement…

  By Jane Eisner Dec 5, 2017 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  The One Thing Trump Should Say About Jerusalem

  President Trump this week has a number of big decisions to make that will impact the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace. What he does will affect not only his soon-to-be unveiled peace initiative, but also the trajectory of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, more widely. Trump’s moves this week should be judged based on whether he…

  By Michael Koplow Dec 4, 2017 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Trump Is Waging War On The Peace Process

  In the days after his election, President Donald Trump bragged that he would achieve “the ultimate deal” for Israelis and Palestinians. But on the ground, his Administration has been supporting an ultimate war on the peace process. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law who has been charged with overseeing Middle East peace, has been unforthcoming with details….

  By Issa Amro Dec 4, 2017 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  We Asked 20 Rabbis: What Makes You Proud To Be A Jew?

  As a part of our Rabbi Roundtable series, we brought together leading rabbis from all corners of the Jewish world to offer their thoughts on the big questions. This week, we asked our rabbis, “What makes you proud to be a Jew?” Here are their responses: Shmuly Yanklowitz, Orthodox, Uri L’Tzedek: Orthodox Social Justice: The…

  By Forward Staff Dec 4, 2017 | 8 min read
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  Opinion

  Should Trump Move The U.S. Embassy To Jerusalem?

  Have Your Say is your chance to tell us what you think. Comment below or on Facebook and let us know what you think about the question posed in the headline.

  By Forward Staff Dec 4, 2017 | < 1 min read