Opinion

• Opinion

  Why Jews Down in Dixie Are Praying in Arabic

  The interfaith community of Huntsville, Alabama, has put the “heart” back in the “Heart of Dixie.” For months, we’d listened as our state leaders railed against Muslims in general and Syrian refugees in particular. It was a local attitude as well. We saw an increase in anti-Muslim rhetoric on social media and local talk radio….

  By Elizabeth Bahar

  3 min read
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  Opinion

  The Junior Jedi Who Became a Rabbi

  On screen, the saga of Star Wars — the epic space opera — has always been rooted in family drama: relationships between fathers and sons, brothers and sisters, orphaned children and wise uncles. Off screen, the films provided real-life families with multigenerational entertainment from the beginning. I was a baby when the first film blasted…

  By Simcha Weinstein Dec 24, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Donald Trump’s ‘Schlonged’ Doesn’t Matter — and Why That Fact Matters

  For a time in the early 1980s I was unemployed in Los Angeles and watched a lot of daytime TV. One day I was watching a rerun of “The Newlywed Game,” a quiz show that asked contestants about their spouses’ habits to see how well they knew each other. In this segment, the question was:…

  By J.J. Goldberg Dec 24, 2015 | 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 A new humanitarian outrage is unfolding in the Middle East. It’s not in Gaza

  

• Nora Berman The left is turning on AOC over Israel — and imperiling its own agenda

  

• Dan Perry Actually, Trump made things between Israel and Iran way worse

  

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

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Well-Dressed AIPAC Youth and the American Way

  It is always a strange and wonderful pleasure to attend an AIPAC Young Leadership event. Specially designed to undermine my stereotypical expectations of the organisation, these events are normally full of nuanced discussion, really bright young people, and sharp focused energy. I’m always surprised at how comfortable I feel in freely expressing my less-that-right wing…

  By Robbie Gringras Dec 24, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Does a Catholic Mom With a Rabbi Daughter Get a Christmas Tree?

  We all know that the Christmas tree can become one of the biggest points of contention in intermarried families. It can cause hard feelings, arguments and problems with the kids. In my family, we have navigated this fairly well — until this year, when I have taken it upon myself to ponder whether a fragrant…

  By Cindy Skrzycki Dec 23, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Poverty and Plenty — Two Israels

  “By the time they hit seven years old, most Jewish children perceive Israel as a place of poverty and of danger.” So laments super-researcher/educator Sivan Zakai, of the University of Judaism. It makes me sad. I know that there are dangers in Israel, of course there are. But what of the danger on the streets…

  By Robbie Gringras Dec 23, 2015 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  The 2 Options Left for Conservative Judaism

  (JTA) — The Conservative movement was once the very embodiment of what it meant to be an “American Jew.” As the 130th anniversary of the founding of its flagship Jewish Theological Seminary approaches in 2016, the centrist movement that historically straddled the polarities of Reform and Orthodox is struggling to maintain its identity and attract…

  By Roberta Rosenthal Kwall Dec 22, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  How Do We Memorialize Lord Janner, Jewish Leader Accused of Child Abuse?

  Lord Greville Janner of Braunstone, the British Labour Member of Parliament and peer in the House of Lords who passed away on December 19 at the age of 87, dedicated a good deal of his political life to championing Jewish causes. Yet despite being a diligent parliamentarian and prominent Jewish community leader, his legacy will…

  By Liam Hoare Dec 22, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Is America Getting Ready To Elect Bernie Sanders as President?

  When Barry Goldwater, whose father was Jewish, won the GOP presidential nomination in 1964, the irrepressible Southern humorist Harry Golden wrote in his weekly Carolina Israelite: “I always knew the first Jewish president would be an Episcopalian.” Not me. Maybe it’s just my family background, but I always figured a Jewish president wouldn’t be elected…

  By J.J. Goldberg Dec 22, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Worrying About What’s ‘Good for the Jews’ Is Actually Bad for the Jews

  (JTA) — Ever wonder if Bernie Sanders is good for the Jews? How about Andy Warhol? The pope? 9/11? The Diaspora? Alexander the Great? Drake? The year 5775? These questions and many more have all been asked and answered. Apparently a lot of people still see this as a useful metric. “Is it good for the…

  By Mik Moore Dec 21, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Donald Trump’s Hidden Opportunity for Jews

  Religious discrimination is wrong — a simple statement; and yet despite its simplicity, discrimination against Muslims in the United States is becoming increasingly acceptable. Presidential candidate Donald Trump recently called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” The statement itself has, thankfully, elicited condemnations from individuals and organizations across the…

  By Michael A. Helfand Dec 21, 2015 | 4 min read