Opinion

• Opinion

  Donald Trump and the Danger of Scapegoating

  Recently a friend explained why she planned to register to vote for the first time in order to place her ballot for Donald Trump: “He’s good for the Jews.” No, he isn’t. Almost all American Jews know the story of how their family came to America. For many — usually the descendants of Eastern European…

  By Bethany Mandel

  3 min read
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  Opinion

  Don’t Fall for ‘Netanyahu Derangement Syndrome’ on Iran Deal

  In real estate, they say, it’s location, location, location. In policy, especially military policy, the secret is timing. Let me explain. Lately there’s been a mini-hubbub on the Web, aimed at discrediting my coverage of the Iran nuclear debate. My critics keep claiming I said something I never said: that Israel’s security establishment likes the…

  By J.J. Goldberg Aug 28, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Letters

  ‘Israeli Opinion Must Have an Impact on Our Decision’

  For better or worse Israel Advocacy is now and must be on the agenda of nearly every Federation. We are with Israel in time of war and peace, advocating, lobbying, visiting and being supportive in every way we can. A Federation board can never reflect every perspective and we acknowledge the validity of many points…

  Aug 27, 2015 | 2 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 I have the answer to Jon Stewart’s toughest question about Israel

  

• Nora Berman ‘Eddington’ is full of conspiracy theories but it’s not about Jews. Or is it?

  

• Dan Perry Recognizing a Palestinian state is a great way to doom Palestinians

  

• Emily Tamkin Is starvation in Gaza really Israel’s fault? The facts are clear

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  When Orthodox and Evangelicals Align — and What It Means for Everyone Else

  Sixty years ago, a Jewish intellectual named Will Herberg published a book that jolted the way Americans thought about their religious landscape. The title of his book, if not his musty thesis, could describe a new American religious alignment that presents serious challenges for progressive Jews and Judaism today. “Protestant-Catholic-Jew: An Essay in American Religious…

  By Jane Eisner Aug 27, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Progressive Judaism Won’t Win in My Lifetime. And That’s OK.

  In 70 C.E., according to the Talmud, Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakkai had himself smuggled out of Jerusalem, and petitioned the Roman authorities to establish a center of learning in Yavneh, a small rural village by the coast. At the time, it must have seemed a defeatist move. Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed, though it…

  By Jay Michaelson Aug 26, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  How Iran Is Winning the Media War

  In 1999, I joined CBS 60 Minutes II to help create a segment about a leading political prisoner in Iran. It had been a difficult piece to report, and in it I had invested months of legwork and personal contacts. Now, the late beloved Bob Simon was to tell the tale of the Iranian Andre…

  By Roya Hakakian Aug 24, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Jewish Leaders, Don’t Be Afraid To Fight Iran Deal

  My 30 years as a hedge fund manager have taught me to spot someone attempting to hedge his bet. As I look around the American Jewish landscape, I see much of our leadership doing just that — crafting cleverly noncommittal “statements of concern” about the Iran deal, expressing neither approval nor disapproval. Many openly despair…

  By Michael Steinhardt Aug 24, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Ashkenormativity Is Twice as Common — and Harmful — in LGBTQ Jewish Spaces

  After Kiddush on Shabbat, someone comes up to me to critique my recitation. Either the person asks why I pronounced the last word as “hagefen” rather than “hagafen,” or I am less-than-politely informed of the “correct” pronunciation. When I respond that my Sephardic custom is to say “hagefen,” the reply is always the same: “I…

  By Jay M. Stanton Aug 24, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Why We Need To Subsidize Teen Travel to Israel

  Another summer season has passed and parents of high-school-age teens who wanted to give their children an experience of Israel had to dig deep into their pockets and pay the full cost. Programs for teens that range from three to six weeks can cost up to 10,000 dollars for teens coming from the West Coast…

  By Elan Ezrachi Aug 24, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Federations Shouldn’t Take Sides on Iran

  As the debate about the joint agreement on Iran’s nuclear future reaches into its second month, defying the August doldrums and energizing Washington lobbyists, some American Jews are still making up their minds. Polls are split on the matter, indicating a slight majority for or against the deal, depending on who is asking and how…

  Aug 24, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Can Dominique Strauss-Kahn Reinvent Himself — as France’s Next President?

  While there are no second acts in American lives, as F. Scott Fitzgerald famously claimed, there seems to be a French exception. Over the past several weeks, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the Jewish former French finance minister, former head of the International Monetary Fund, former front-runner for the French presidency, and former perp at Riker’s Island, has…

  By Robert Zaretsky Aug 24, 2015 | 3 min read