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
What The Forward’s Receptionist Knows
The Forward’s receptionist, Marina Vinokur, always has a story for me. A 19-year veteran of the Forward, Marina’s stories — which span the Forward’s transition from Yiddish and Russian to English, from print to digital — tend to reveal the underbelly of this hallowed institution. “When we switched from newspaper to magazine, a cranky old…
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Letters Television Is Not How People Should Learn About Jews — Period.
To the Editor: Many thanks to Susan Silver for an interesting article. More interesting would be her own stories, stories she alludes to but omits: her memories of Lenny Bruce, her memories of her acquaintance with Lenny Bruce’s mother, her memories of Simon Wiesenthal, about whom so little has been written by comediennes and her…
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Opinion My Fellow Orthodox Jews: Sholom Rubashkin Is No Hero
Yesterday President Donald Trump announced he would be commuting the sentence of former executive of a meat packing plant imprisoned for bank fraud. There was a great deal wrong with the sentencing, which was longer than most rapists and murderers receive. Dozens of judges, lawmakers and politicians sprang to his defense, asking for leniency, and…
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Opinion 9 Ways The International Community Is Being Hypocritical Over Jerusalem
President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has provoked virtually universal international opposition. Jerusalem, diplomats agreed, is a final-status issue that should not be so recklessly pre-empted with unilateral declarations. But here are nine ways in which the international community is being hypocritical over Jerusalem: 1. Jerusalem is already recognized in practice as Israel’s…
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Opinion Video Of A Palestinian Girl Hitting Soldiers Shows The IDF’s Moral Fiber
Video of a violent confrontation last Friday between a 16-year-old Palestinian girl, Ahed Tamimi, and two IDF soldiers went viral. As Tamimi proceeds to hit the soldiers, they refrain from any reaction, stoically absorbing her blows without responding to them. In retrospect, it was obvious that the video would go viral. For Israelis, the video…
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Opinion Sholom Rubashkin Is Free. Now He Must Redeem Himself.
When the cheering stops, and the visits to the Ohel come to an end, I hope that Sholom Rubashkin can find purpose and meaning in his life moving forward. It is tragic to spend one’s life behind bars for crimes committed. While the president has commuted his sentence, Sholom Rubashkin remains a convicted felon and…
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Opinion Converts Are Constantly Asked If We Miss Christmas. It’s Complicated.
Whether from a fellow Jew or a non-Jew, I’m pretty sure the most common question asked of a convert to Judaism is: “Don’t you miss Christmas?” So far, my personal answer to the query has been: “No. Not really. Once in a while… maybe.” My more expanded answer leans mostly toward the negative. I emphatically…
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Opinion The Nazi Who Saved Jews
Karl Rudolf Werner Best was your average run-of-the-mill Nazi, until he wasn’t. A curious footnote to history, Best both ordered and subsequently sabotaged the deportation of Denmark’s Jews, rendering him an enduring mystery. Born in Darmstadt on July 10, 1903, Best was an early and staunch German nationalist who founded the first local group of…
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Opinion Is The Liberal Media Giving Linda Sarsour A Pass On A Sexual Assault Cover-Up?
Earlier this week, the Daily Caller published a piece alleging that Women’s March founder and Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour covered up sexual harassment during her time as executive director of the Arab American Association. A woman named Asmi Fathelbab accused Sarsour of ignoring complaints against a man named Majed Seif who she claimed would regularly…
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Opinion That Palestinian Girl’s Viral Video? The Real Scandal Is That Israeli Troops Were There At All
The video is striking — no pun intended. A 16 year-old Palestinian girl in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh grapples with Israeli soldiers in full combat gear and armed to the teeth. Despite the fact that she swats and kicks at them, the soldiers, likely hardly older than their tormentor, show admirable restraint,…
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Opinion A Yeshiva U Rabbi Called Feminists ‘Whores.’ They’re Not Backing Down.
There is a famous scene in the movie “Casablanca” in which Renault asks Rick why he came to Casablanca. “I came for the waters,” Rick says. When Renault reminds Rick that Casablanca is in the desert, Rick answers wryly, “I was misinformed.” I thought of this exchange when I read about recent events at YU’s…
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Opinion I grew up believing Australia was the best place to be Jewish. This Hanukkah shooting forces a reckoning I do not want.
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Opinion When my children decorate for Hanukkah, I don’t just see pride. I see pluralism in action.
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Fast Forward ‘The most Australian name’: Matilda, the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach attack, embodies a nation’s grief
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Fast Forward A Wider Bridge, a pro-Israel advocate in LGBTQ spaces, is shutting down
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Yiddish פֿאַר וואָס הערט מען ניט וועגן דעם גלעצנדיקן וווּקס פֿון דער ישׂראל־בערזע? Why aren’t we hearing about the dramatic growth of the Israeli stock market?
וואָלט דער אָפּרוף געווען אַנדערש, ווען דער ציל פֿון די טעראָריסטן וואָלט ניט געווען ייִדן, נאָר אַן אַנדער גרופּע?
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