Opinion

• Opinion

  If a Holocaust Survivor Can Forgive a 93-Year-Old Nazi, Should I?

  More than half a century after the Holocaust, is it right — or even possible — to forgive? As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors and refugees, I find myself asking this question as I read about the recent trial of Oskar Gröning — aka “the accountant of Auschwitz” — a man who cannot easily be…

  By J.E. Reich

  3 min read
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  Opinion

  RBG Breaks It Down Like A Boss on Gay Marriage

  The Supreme Court’s dilly-dallying and uncertainty when it comes to gay marriage legalization is disappointing to some and highly disconcerting to others. But in all that darkness there is one bright shinning light. Our favorite Jewish and “Notorious” Supreme Court justice, In the recent supreme court debate on gay marriage, RBG smacked down some logical…

  By Lior Zaltzman Apr 30, 2015 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  That Super Cute Maxi Skirt Isn’t Her Problem. French Racism Is.

  When I was 15, I borrowed one of those hideous T-shirts from a friend. Sartorial faux-pas aside, this turned out to be a poor decision that would lead to me being asked to leave a French History exam 20 minutes in. To change. You see, the French lycée that I attended abided by the same…

  By Anne Cohen Apr 30, 2015 | 2 min read

Columnists View All

• Jay Michaelson What can really be done to prevent antisemitic attacks like Bondi Beach?

  

• Rob Eshman Australia shooting terrifies Jews worldwide — and strengthens the case for Israel

  

• Nora Berman Did crypto-Jews invent the modern tarot deck?

  

• Dan Perry The 3 responses to the Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack that could make Jews safer

  

• Emily Tamkin The fundamental miscalculation behind the GOP’s antisemitism crisis

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  How Not To Be a Jerk in Jewish India

  “Wow, the ladies here wear saris to synagogue! Is that a Hindu influence?” Nathaniel Jhirad, a 23-year-old Indian Jew in Mumbai’s Bene Israel community, hears this question a lot. Every time, he’s tempted to reply: “You wear skirts; that is not an ancient garment from the Mythical Land of Authentic Judaism!” Jhirad’s fantasy riposte, told…

  By Sigal Samuel Apr 30, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Elderly Couples Need Sex Most of All

  Each day, 10,000 baby boomers turn 65. This is a generation that redefined tradition and prided itself on the anthem “sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll.” Yet, the ignorance, prejudice and silence about sex and sexuality we fought so hard to upend are still alive and kicking as we age. As soon as you add…

  By Daniel Reingold Apr 30, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Is ‘Strangeness’ of Ed Miliband an Anti-Semitic Code Word?

  When Ed Miliband’s team concluded last year that he had an image problem, they decided the easiest way to give him the common touch was to have him eat a bacon sandwich. After all, what cheaper way to show that the Labour candidate for British prime minister has empathy with the everyman than eating the…

  By Liam Hoare Apr 29, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Why — and How — Baltimore Jews Must Act Now

  As helicopters buzz over Baltimore’s Westside, I’m thinking back to last Shabbat, when my community of Jews United for Justice members joined the wider community to publicly grieve, call for justice, and say kaddish for Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old black man slain by Baltimore police officers. His death — which we mourned across the street…

  By Owen Silverman Andrews Apr 28, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Can You Love Ted Cruz for His Israel Views — Even If You Hate His Social Politics?

  Can a gay activist support Ted Cruz? Apparently not, judging by the angry firestorm and calls to boycott after two gay businessmen, Ira Reisner and Mati Weiderpass, hosted an event for the Republican presidential hopeful in their NYC apartment last week. Reisner, who is Jewish, that although he doesn’t agree with Cruz’s social politics, the…

  By Jesse Lempel Apr 28, 2015 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  How To Love Israel — While Fighting Like Cats and Dogs About What That Means

  It’s almost quaint, really, the faith that so many folks still have in the transcendent power of Israel to unite Jews of every stripe when so much else divides us. It’s been a truism for generations, perhaps since Israel’s founding in 1948, certainly since the Six-Day War in 1967, that Israel is the one issue…

  By J.J. Goldberg Apr 28, 2015 | 5 min read
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  Opinion

  Rabbi’s Unwitting Lesson in How Not To React to Nepal’s Earthquake

  As people worldwide mourn the devastation in Nepal, one rabbi posted a different reaction to Facebook: All he idols worshiping places n nepal are now destroyed Posted by Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi on Monday, April 27, 2015 The post appears to express the rabbi’s pleasure, if not glee, at the collapse of numerous temples throughout Nepal….

  By Jesse Lempel Apr 27, 2015 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Confronting Jewish Complicity in South African Apartheid

  Freedom Day, the anniversary of the end of apartheid and South Africa’s first democratic elections, is on April 27. For many of us in the South African diaspora, myself included, it’s an important day of remembering the struggle, past and present, for a better and freer South Africa. Many American Jews join in the celebration,…

  By Jonathan Katz Apr 27, 2015 | 3 min read