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.
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
(JTA) — In the run-up to his swearing-in on Friday, President Donald Trump made a series of big promises to Israel. Aside from his oft-repeated pledge to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, he has talked about reviving the peace process with the Palestinians, with a goal of achieving a deal before he…
What if famous cartoon doofus Homer Simpson, by some stroke of fate, became mayor of his fictional town of Springfield? The character, known for his harebrained schemes and for his reliance on dumb luck to get by, isn’t based on any real-life personalities, though lately a certain politician has brought him to mind. What would…
At 1:30 p.m. on the day of the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., I huddled with my group of students from the University of Pennsylvania alongside thousands upon thousands of other protesters. Our group tried to find a route around the gridlock, to no avail, when a Muslim freshman realized that the time for afternoon…
I was moved by the masses, but ambivalent about their message. As my Grandma, Mom and I held onto one another while we wove through the scant empty pockets in the crowd, I listened to chants of “Hands too small, can’t build a wall,” and was reluctant to participate. It felt like “going low” when…
I was very focused on the food, the cold and the crowds. And did I mention a terrorist bomb or crazed shooter? Though I was entirely sure of my philosophical, visceral desire to sign on for the Women’s March in Washington, the notion of hordes amassing in one location triggered every one of my Jewish…
The Forward asked three generations of the Pogrebin family to recount their experiences at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. Here the grandmother, a veteran feminist activist and writer, describes how this protest left her soaring. Read daughter Abigail Pogrebin’s account here and granddaughter Molly Shapiro’s essay here. Pardon the hyperbole but yesterday was one…
(JTA) — President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, attended the Inauguration Day service Friday at St. John’s Episcopal Church, a tradition that goes back to 1933. The live video showed the Trumps shaking hands with the pastor and entering the church, followed immediately by his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner. No big deal,…
President Donald Trump could have used his inaugural speech to send an uplifting, inclusive message that all Americans can unite as a people despite our very real differences on issues such as racial and class equality, immigration, education, free-speech and the nation’s place in the world. I had also hoped the President, who arguably had…
On Friday January 20th, Donald J. Trump became the 45th president of the United States. Many Scribe contributors attended events around the world in celebration of (and marches in protest against) Donald J. Trump’s inauguration. Others opined on their hopes and dreams for the incoming administration. Read their provocative stories and reflections below: Opinions and…
It is the custom in our country, notwithstanding the enshrined principle of separation of church and state, for a clergy member to offer words of encouragement and moral guidance to the President-elect on the morning of the inauguration. On the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly interviewed the designated minister, Robert…
At times, looking for the Jewish angle in a major public event can feel small, parochial and petty. Not this time. The contrast between the two Jews on the podium, Senator Chuck Schumer and Rabbi Marvin Hier, and everyone else who spoke was quite striking. Consider: Trump’s inaugural address. It offered a stark, angry picture…