Opinion

• Opinion

  Does God Still Matter on the Campaign Trail — Even When Young Voters Rebel?

  The two Republican candidates with the most momentum going into the New Hampshire primary are eager to bring God with them on the campaign trail. There’s Ted Cruz, who is the son of an evangelical preacher and often sounds like one himself, opening his victory speech in Iowa with “To God Be the Glory!” and…

  By Jane Eisner

  4 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Jewish Republicans Should Look Past Marco Rubio — to Michael Bloomberg

  What’s a moderate Republican — that is, most Jewish Republicans — to do? With Donald Trump and Ted Cruz ascendant, moderate hopes have flitted from Jeb Bush to Marco Rubio and now to John Kasich. In fact, however, there’s only one hope for moderate Republicans: Bernie Sanders. Let me explain. First, Rubio is no moderate….

  By Jay Michaelson Feb 8, 2016 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Bernie Sanders Should Embrace His Kibbutz Past — Not Shrink From It

  Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders must have cringed when the name of his mystery kibbutz finally came to light last week. Almost as soon as the world found out where he had volunteered after finishing his undergraduate degree in 1963, blogs started up the spin machine with the intent of tagging Sanders as a “Marxist…

  By A. Daniel Roth Feb 8, 2016 | 4 min read

Columnists View All

• Jodi Rudoren This is my last column as editor of the Forward

  

• Jay Michaelson American Jews were played — now what?

  

• Rob Eshman Americans keep getting killed in the West Bank. Here’s how the US could fight that awful trend

  

• Nora Berman First Camp Auschwitz, now Alligator Alcatraz — why the right is obsessed with commodifying brutality

  

• Dan Perry What exactly is going on between Israel and Syria — and is the prospect of peace dead?

  

• Emily Tamkin Zohran Mamdani’s victory proves it: The ‘gotcha’ mode of fighting antisemitism has to go

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Have Jews Become Obsessed With Bro Masculinity?

  After I weighed in on at the University of Chicago, I arrived on campus at my alma mater expecting to discuss with my friends who are still in Hyde Park the intricacies of the matter. Instead, we seemed to discuss “bros.” Frequently. In a few weeks, registration for the Birthright trips will begin. Our Facebook…

  By Jonathan Paul Katz Feb 8, 2016 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  The Ugly ‘SNL’ Joke You Missed While Chuckling at ‘Bernie Sanderswitzky’

  This one went by so fast that most of us seem to have missed it. This past weekend’s Saturday Night Live had not one but two Jewish jokes. One was moderately funny, notable mainly for the fact that it came from the mouth of Senator Bernie Sanders, during a back-and-forth with his doppelganger Larry David….

  By J.J. Goldberg Feb 8, 2016 | 8 min read
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  Opinion

  How Americans Enable Israel’s ‘Jewish or Democratic State’ Delusion

  American Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro that Israel employs a double legal standard in the West Bank: one for Israelis and another for Palestinians. No one can question Shapiro’s friendship toward Israel. His worrying observation reflects the frustration of many Americans who are true friends of Israel and yet deeply concerned about its future. Their…

  By Avi Gil Feb 7, 2016 | 3 min read
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  Letters

  How Both the Right and the Left Get Israel Wrong

  My comments are directed to Jane Eisner’s opinion piece of January 7, Chemi Shalev’s article, on which Eisner based her comments, is biased, exaggerated and plays loose with the facts. Unfortunately, the opinion piece repeats some of Shalev’s errors. While there are worrisome trends in Israel, in terms of incitement against the Left, or those…

  By Alan Iser Feb 7, 2016 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Here’s Why Oscar Nominees Are Getting Free Luxe Trips to Israel

  “Can anyone explain why Hollywood’s rich and powerful need $200,000 worth of extravagant goodies?” That’s the question The Daily Beast asks the absurdly luxurious swag bags being given to Oscar nominees this year. The goody bags, which include everything from a $55,000 first-class Israel trip to a $250 vape to a $1900 “Vampire Breast Lift”…

  By Sigal Samuel Feb 7, 2016 | 2 min read
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  Letters

  The Israeli Settler Movement Isn’t What You Think

  After reading your January 11 story, by Naomi Zeveloff, I felt compelled to respond. For nearly 40 years, my husband and I have made our home in Kedumim, a community in Samaria. We have raised nine children, five of whom live in neighboring communities. All our children served their country proudly as soldiers in the…

  By Raphaella Segal Feb 7, 2016 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  No, It’s Not ‘More Practical’ To Choose Hillary Over Bernie

  The Democratic near-deadlock in the Iowa caucus was certainly a surprise — and in many ways a loss — for Hillary Clinton, who assumed a coronation once before, back in 2008. Now that she’s barely squeezed out a victory, the primaries ahead will require an extra push from her. That extra push is likely to…

  By Ari Paul Feb 7, 2016 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Kotel Plan Sends Strong Message to All Israelis — Especially Girls

  As a member of Women of the Wall for more than 20 years, and as part of the group’s negotiating team, I believe that the creation of a third section of the Kotel sets a strong precedent in women’s status in Israel: women as administrators of a holy site, women as leaders, women as an…

  By Batya Kallus Feb 5, 2016 | 2 min read