In the Forward’s opinion section, you’ll find analysis and essays from diverse corners of the Jewish world.
To pitch an opinion piece, email our Opinion Editor, Talya Zax.
Opinion
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Opinion
The Wesleyan Debate on Free Speech — and What It Means for Israel
A debate over race and free speech is roiling my beloved alma mater, and in it I find unmistakable parallels to the fraught conversation about Israel that is the subject of so much Sturm und Drang — and so much communal spending — on college campuses across the country. The analogy isn’t exact. The harassment…
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Opinion Even Amid Spreading Violence, Time Mostly Stands Still in Mixed Yaffo
Translated by Jessica Cohen Not far from where I write, in my rented apartment in Yaffo, a bus was stoned last week. The driver said he was on his route in the evening when he saw a group of masked young men waving Hamas flags. And then the windows were shattered. But there were no…
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Opinion ‘Red Oaks’ Proves That the Prurient Male Gaze Is Alive and Well
Amazon, the e-commerce behemoth that is coming ever closer to eliminating the time between desire and fulfilment, is not satisfied with being merely the world’s biggest bazaar. Over the years, it has become a content generator of its own, buying newspapers, publishing books and, apparently, producing Jewish-themed television shows. The latest in the oeuvre —…
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Opinion How Yitzhak Rabin’s Assassin Succeeded in Killing Historic Push for Peace
Few events in Jewish history have been more shattering than the assassination of a Jewish prime minister in the Land of Israel. Over and over our memories replay the horror in slow motion as he’s accused of collaborating with the enemy, then cut down by a fellow Jew who imagines himself the true heir and…
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Opinion How the Temple Mount Obsession Could Destroy Judaism
The shocking upsurge in deadly attacks in Israel cannot be disconnected from efforts of some Jewish organizations to dramatically change the Temple Mount status quo, backed by inflammatory statements and actions of leading politicians. To be sure, not all Jews yearn to abolish the fragile status quo of the holy site. Several prominent Jewish leaders,…
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Letters Tax the Jewish Community to Pay for Jewish Day School
In response to JJ Goldberg’s October 19 piece Dear Forward, It is time to “tax” the Jewish community to pay for Jewish day school. [The document] should also say that every Jewish professional should be protected from being fired if they advocate Jewish day school vehemently from their perch, bimah or position. I also thought…
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Opinion What Americans Don’t Know About the Middle East Conflict and Why
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows better than anyone else that if we Palestinians are permitted to engage non-violently, odds are we will expose Israel’s military occupation for what it is, a system of modern-day apartheid or worse. This is why, following his March election victory, Netanyahu assembled an extreme right-wing cabinet that would work…
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Opinion Why Barack Obama Is No Bill Clinton When It Comes to Israel
(JTA) — By now it should be obvious how absurd it is to call President Barack Obama Israel’s “best friend” ever, as Thomas Friedman of The New York Times has claimed. A Blame Israel Firster, Obama won’t use his moral authority to try stopping the instigators of this latest spate of violence, the Palestinians. Unfortunately he…
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Opinion How the Middle East Conflict Is Warping Judaism
Sunday will be the 12th of Cheshvan, a grim anniversary: 20 years since the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. He was shot on a Saturday night after the world’s synagogues read the Torah portion Lech Lecha, the first night of the week looking toward the next reading, VaYera, the “binding of Isaac.” But in real life,…
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Opinion How Can I Fight the Fear That’s Eroding My Values?
The fear is getting to me, gnawing away at who I am and who I want to be. I think of myself as a person with multiple identities and roles. I am a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a professional, an academic, an activist. I try to hold to a clear set of…
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Opinion I Survived the Terror Attack in Beersheva
I survived a terror attack. The words roll off my tongue. I. Survived. A terror attack. People are telling me that what happened to me was a miracle. I’m supposed to feel relief for surviving, for coming out of it in one piece, unharmed. I’m flooded with many feelings, but relief isn’t one. I am…
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