Opinion

• Opinion

  Did New York Times Flub ‘Jewish’ Iran Vote Chart?

  (JTA) — In a chart of lawmakers who are against the Iran deal, The New York Times singled out Jewishness as an implicit cause of opposition to the nuclear agreement. The chart, posted Thursday, originally included a column with the heading “Jewish?” “Yeses” were highlighted in yellow (yellow!), while “noes” were not. Another column showed…

  By Ron Kampeas

  2 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Are You So Confused by J Street’s Muslim Zionist?

  I’ve been watching out for articles about Amna Farooqi, the new Muslim-American President of J Street U, since she was elected last month. There’s more than a little bit of kvelling in that for me, since I taught the first two Israel Studies courses she took at the University of Maryland when she was a…

  By Paul Scham Sep 11, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  How My Catholic Husband Became a Great ‘Jewish’ Father

  Worried bubbes everywhere, take heart: Just because your daughter (or son) is marrying out of the faith, all hope is not lost. Your daughter’s Catholic husband can still be a great Jewish father. How do I know? Because mine is. While maintaining his Catholic identity, my husband has been a true partner in keeping a…

  By Jessica Levy Sep 11, 2015 | 3 min read

Columnists View All

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

  

• Jay Michaelson Being Jewish in America today feels like walking multiple tightropes at once

  

• Rob Eshman My brother-in-law’s kibbutz weathered Oct. 7. Then came the Iranian missile strikes

  

• Nora Berman Greta Thunberg’s Gaza flotilla was never going to help Palestinians

  

• Dan Perry Celebrating my daughter’s birthday in a bomb shelter, as missiles struck Tel Aviv

  

• Emily Tamkin Trump’s latest move makes Mahmoud Khalil a Joseph for our times

  

The Latest

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  Letters

  The Answer Lies in the Refugee Convention of 1951

  Dear Editor: In , Deborah Lipstadt raises some provocative questions which she says are “unanswered.” There is one basic answer to all of them, however. The answer arose out of the ashes of the Holocaust, haunted by the memory of those who were trapped by “paper walls” inside of a genocide. That answer is the…

  Sep 10, 2015 | < 1 min read
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  Letters

  My Childhood Synagogue Made a Mistake Inviting Pro-BDS Speakers

  I read the recent op-ed regarding BDS and my own childhood synagogue with sadness. While seemingly well intentioned, this wonderful shul made a serious mistake in inviting and promoting pro-BDS speakers. The op-ed makes two central, misguided arguments. First, as Jews we have some obligation based on “an inherent rabbinic tradition of debate” to give…

  Sep 10, 2015 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Vladimir Putin Embraces Jews — But Not Gays

  (JTA) — For the Kremlin, the interfaith roundtable last Thursday at Kazan’s Hall of Culture provided the perfect propaganda moment. Before the meeting, dozens of journalists snapped pictures of Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar posing alongside the mufti and archpriest of Tatarstan — a predominately Muslim state with its capital, Kazan, 800 miles east of…

  By Cnaan Liphshiz Sep 10, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  True Test of the Iran Deal Starts Now

  Now that President Obama has secured more than enough votes to prevent Congress from overturning the Iran nuclear deal, it’s time to question whether continued opposition makes any sense at all. We’ll go further. Since a summer recess filled with intensive, expensive lobbying and frightening attack advertisements failed to make a dent in the support…

  By Jane Eisner Sep 10, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  How Jewish Skepticism on Refugees Boils Down to Double Standards

  Deborah Lipstadt, a prominent and respected Holocaust Studies professor who often provides commentary for leading radio and television magazine programs, that she believes we should think carefully before we indulge a rash and emotional response toward migrants and refugees. She says she has four questions about the current migration crisis that require nuanced responses. But…

  By Lisa Goldman Sep 10, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Building Alliance With Israel Is Good Business Too

  Relations between the United States and Israel embody significant history and shared values. And, as we all know, sometimes those relations consist of disagreements and obstacles. Especially now, when we see neighboring countries collapsing and thousands of people risking their lives in search of a better future, we should remind ourselves that the ability to…

  By Ofra Strauss Sep 10, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  My Year of Living Jewishly

  “Did it change you?” That’s what people ask me, those who have followed this year of holiday reporting — my first foray into the complete Jewish calendar. The answer is yes. And no. Yes, because I now understand the substructures of every holiday — ancient and modern, mournful and exultant. No, because I’m not rushing…

  By Abigail Pogrebin Sep 9, 2015 | 9 min read
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  Opinion

  4 Reasons We Should Think Before Acting Rashly on Migrant Crisis

  I have watched the unfolding refugee crisis with horror. Who could not be moved by the sight of families risking their children’s lives in rickety boats and on rafts designed for leisure and not for escape routes on rough waters? The picture of little Aylan Kurdi in blue shorts and red shirt dead on the…

  By Deborah E. Lipstadt Sep 9, 2015 | 3 min read