Opinion

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  Bibi and Barack Agree 100% — on Bagels!

  Jerusalem — Scoff if you like, but this is something I do. I’m a Jewish journalist. We care about our food. At the end of my White House interview last year with President Obama, I asked him for his favorite flavor of bagel. How could I not ask the same thing of the prime minister of…

  By Jane Eisner

  < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  How Jews Became White Folks — and May Become Nonwhite Under Trump

  Decades before I wrote the book “How Jews Became White Folks and What That Says About Race in America,” I had an eye-opening conversation with my parents. I asked them if they were white. They looked flummoxed and said, “We’re Jewish.” “But are you white?” “Well, I guess we’re white; but we’re Jewish.” Then they…

  By Karen Brodkin Dec 6, 2016 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  That Time I Spoke at the Knesset — and Israeli Lawmakers Seemed to Listen

  Jerusalem — Usually I’m the one sitting in the audience or the press section, covering legislative hearings or committee meetings or the endless speeches of lawmakers, hoping someone, somewhere, is listening. In all my years as a journalist, I’ve never been the one asked to speak. But there I was yesterday, in a paneled committee room…

  By Jane Eisner Dec 5, 2016 | 3 min read

Columnists View All

• Alyssa Katz Class assignment: Get to know your murdered Jewish neighbors

  

• Rob Eshman Liberal Zionists are under attack. A new book proves their work has never been more important

  

• Dan Perry Israel’s most dangerous war is with itself

  

• Emily Tamkin American Jews have a Hasan Piker problem. Solving it is going to hurt

  

• Jay Michaelson Epstein and Iran are an antisemitism mega-crisis. Here’s what Jewish organizations should do about it. 

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Did My Fellow Austrians Just Stop the Surge of Far Right Populism in Europe?

  On Sunday, Austria put a halt to the seemingly unstoppable surge of far right populism in Europe. Yes, Austria of all places. Green Party-turned-independent candidate, Alexander Van der Bellen, decisively won the presidential election against Norbert Hofer of the far right Freedom Party. The votes by Austrians living abroad – like me – are still…

  By Lilly Maier Dec 5, 2016 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Does Israel’s President Still Not Get How Vital the Kotel Is to Diaspora Jews?

  Jerusalem — Israeli President Reuven Rivlin was the first major elected official to speak at the International Jewish Media Summit, which opened Sunday night in Jerusalem, and he encapsulated the challenge facing his country as it tries to connect more substantively with the Jewish diaspora. The challenge is this: I’m not sure he gets it. Rivlin,…

  By Jane Eisner Dec 4, 2016 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Memo to All Those Who Are Visiting the Tenement Museum To Fight About Immigrants

  As a trustee of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, I am proud of our 28-year history of celebrating the lives and cultures of immigrants — what brings us together as Americans, not what divides us. This is an apolitical mission; from the museum’s founding, we have neither endorsed a single candidate for public office…

  By Zach Aarons Dec 4, 2016 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  This Hanukkah Version of a Gingerbread House Annoys Me Like Nothing Else

  Like almost every other Jewish Holiday, Hanukkah is a celebration of the fact that non-Jews tried to destroy Jews, but they failed. Also: Let’s eat! At its core, Hanukkah is about a fight against total Jewish assimilation into the prevailing culture of the day. So how do American Jews celebrate this festival that commemorates our…

  By Bethany Mandel Dec 4, 2016 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  REVEALED: The Full Keith Ellison Tape Shows He Was (Mostly) Praising Israel — Not Trashing It

  If you’ve been following the uproar over Congressman Keith Ellison and his run for chairman of the Democratic National Committee, you might recall hearing about a 36-second audio clip containing a snippet of an Ellison speech that, according to his critics, proves he’s anti-Israel and shouldn’t get the job. You may even have listened to…

  By J.J. Goldberg Dec 3, 2016 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  No, the Keith Ellison Tape Isn’t Anti-Israel — and Shouldn’t Torpedo His Democratic Run

  It looks as though opposition is mounting, perhaps approaching a critical mass, against the bid by Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison to become chair of the Democratic National Committee. A small flood of messages and articles is circulating through the Jewish community and precincts of the Republican right, supposedly documenting his hostility to Israel and support…

  By J.J. Goldberg Dec 2, 2016 | 6 min read
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  Opinion

  What I Learned About Being Jewish and Chinese on My Birthright Trip to Israel — and to Taiwan

  If you saw me on the street, you probably wouldn’t peg me as Jewish. With my small eyes, thick black hair and high cheekbones, I’m a Jew with some very Chinese characteristics. Growing up, I learned from my father that being Jewish — or at least, New York Jewish — mostly involved cultural quirks, like…

  By Alfred Miller Dec 2, 2016 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  It’s Not Just Israel — These 6 Other Countries Offer Birthright Trips, Too

  Birthright isn’t just for Jews anymore. Following the same model, a number of cultural organizations and governments have created programs to connect diasporic communities in North America with their ancestral cultures. 1) Heritage Greece Founded by the National Hellenic Society, Heritage Greece offers Greek-American undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 26 a two-week…

  By Lana Adler Dec 2, 2016 | 2 min read