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
‘This Is Not The Moment,’ To Lift Our Ban On Performing Interfaith Weddings
The Jewish Theological Seminary affirms that the study of Torah, the sacred wisdom of our people, and the performance of mitzvot, Judaism’s sanctified pattern of religious practice, stand at the very core of Jewish identity. Torah and mitzvot have always been the foundation of the Jewish people’s covenant with God, guiding and sustaining us for…
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Opinion Why We Decided To Perform Intermarriages
Four poles, a covering on top, open on all four sides -— the huppah. It’s such a simple structure, yet so layered with meaning. It is at once a private sacred space for the couple symbolizing their Jewish home, as well as a symbol that Jewish life is not lived in isolation, but in community….
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Opinion The Conservative Movement Will Inevitably Cave On Intermarriage
Reading Rabbi Julie Schonfeld’s recent defense of Conservative Judaism’s ban on rabbis performing intermarriages, my primary sentiment was one of sadness. Why, though? It was not that I disagreed with her; on the contrary, I echo many of her sentiments and agree with her bottom line that performing mixed-faith marriages is a red line that…
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Opinion Why Is One Pro-Israel Group Desperate To Keep You From Watching This Video?
When it comes to Palestinians, the American Jewish establishment is in the ignorance business. The average American synagogue has never hosted a Palestinian speaker. The average “pro-Israel” activist has never read a book by a Palestinian author. The American Jewish philanthropists who fund Birthright send thousands of young American Jews to Israel each year, on…
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Opinion Fresno State Professors Must Stop Pushing Anti-Israel Conspiracy Theories
Prof. Vida Samiian knew just whom she wanted to blame when the search to fill the Edward Said Professorship in Middle East Studies was suspended at California State University, Fresno. As she stated in an angry letter of resignation from the faculty, Samiian believed that the process had been derailed by “vicious and discriminatory attacks…
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Opinion Jane Looking Forward: The Debate On Intermarriage, Birth Control And More
When Abraham Cahan was editor of the Forward from its founding in 1897 and for much of the next 50 years, he could leave the newspaper offices on 175 East Broadway, wind his way through the crowded streets of the Lower East Side, pass by schools and synagogues and shops, and literally touch his readers….
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Opinion The Religious Argument For Supporting Contraception
When the Trump administration signaled its recent intention to cancel the federal requirement that many religious employers offer birth control coverage in health insurance plans, it was framed as a victory for religious freedom. As in, “I’m a boss, and my faith teaches that life begins at conception, and therefore preventing conception is akin to…
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Opinion What Do Interfaith Families Want From Rabbis?
In the most recent round of wrestling over interfaith marriage, we have heard from rabbis, academics and community leaders. As someone in the middle generation of a three-generation interfaith family, one founded in 1960 when my Jewish father married my Protestant mother, I thought it might be useful to weigh in. In doing so, I…
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Opinion Fault Lines Episode 11: IfNotNow and Zionism Today
The Israeli occupation in the West Bank has polarized the American Jewish community. One demonstration of this fact is in IfNotNow, who has emerged as one of the most influential movements on the Jewish left. Members of IfNotNow are expressing their disdain for Israeli policy by actively pushing American Jews to stop supporting the occupation….
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Opinion Americans Are Welcomers, Not Wall-Builders
David Lubell has just been named winner of the 2017 Charles Bronfman Prize for his work founding and growing the immigrant and refugee welcoming group, Welcoming America. Below, looking to World Refugee Day on June 20, he writes exclusively for the Forward. Although the expansion of intolerance and xenophobia in America today is disturbing and,…
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Opinion David Lubell: A Mensch For Refugees And Immigrants
It makes a lot of sense that David Lubell is such a nice guy. His life’s work, after all, is to encourage people to be nice to one another. His success in this endeavor has led him to be named the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Charles Bronfman Prize, which “recognizes young humanitarians whose work…
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