Opinion

• Opinion

  Bridging Divide Between Universal and Parochial Jews

  I’ve been thinking about two larger stories that inform Jewish life; about the extent to which those two stories seem to overlap less and less — and whether there is anything we can or should do about this. The key challenge for the American Jewish community in 2015 is this gap that has opened up…

  By Nigel Savage

  2 min read
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  Opinion

  How Pepper Spray Became Jerusalem’s Weapon of Choice

  Jerusalem store owner Amir Schreiber has sold out of pepper spray multiple times / Naomi Zeveloff Pepper spray has become a hot commodity in Jerusalem as the city’s Jewish citizens are arming themselves in the wake of recent Palestinian attacks — and some innocent Palestinians are getting sprayed. On Jerusalem Facebook groups, people are asking…

  By Naomi Zeveloff Jan 5, 2015 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  The 1% Solution to Jewish Education

  The phone calls and the emails start arriving each year as the first day of school approaches. Parents desperate to give their children a Jewish education flinch at the steep cost. They all ask the same question: How in the world will they afford tuition that tops $30,000 a year? It’s a question that keeps…

  By Ari Segal Jan 5, 2015 | 5 min read

Columnists View All

• Alyssa Katz What I learned at a Holocaust survivors’ Purim party

  

• Rob Eshman Gavin Newsom isn’t waffling on Israel — he’s voicing sensible ideas in an era of outrage

  

• Dan Perry Is this Netanyahu’s Winston Churchill moment?

  

• Emily Tamkin We must rewrite the rulebook for fighting antisemitism — or conspiracists like Joe Kent will win the narrative wars

  

• Jay Michaelson Antisemitism is exploding on the right but the Jewish establishment is focused on the left

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  The High Cost of American Inequality

  In the closing days of 2013, President Obama gave a speech in which he declared that the growing gap in income and opportunity in America is presenting “the defining challenge of our time.” So intent was he to make the point that he repeated the word “inequality” 26 times in one 50-minute speech. Obama’s declaration…

  Jan 5, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  "Bdidut" ("Loneliness") sung by Harel Skaat

  “G-d is great – He has to forgive, If my heart is all earth. My life is light – like a rain of leaves. Not a trace remains.”

  By Abigail Pogrebin Jan 5, 2015 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  Starting 2015 Hungry: The Tenth of Tevet

  I don’t recommend fasting on New Year’s Day. Starvation is not the best cure for a hangover. But the Jewish calendar isn’t known for convenience, and this year, the Fast of the Tenth of Tevet — Tzom Asara B’Tevet — happened to land on January 1st. What a joyful way to ring in 2015: revisiting…

  By Abigail Pogrebin Jan 5, 2015 | 6 min read
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  Opinion

  Stephen Hawking’s Worst Nightmare? Golem 2.0

  The Maharal of Prague brings the Golem to life / Tumblr (JTA) — Stephen Hawking is much in the news these days. His personal story, the subject of the recently released film “The Theory of Everything,” is already spoken of as an Oscar contender. Diagnosed in 1963 with the dreaded Lou Gehrig’s disease and given two…

  By Benjamin Blech Jan 4, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Will Israel Alienate the Diaspora With ‘Jewish State’ Push?

  The several versions of the nationality bill that vied for Knesset support toward the end of November differed only in nuance. But the modest differences tapped deep fissures in Israeli political culture, leading to the collapse of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The upcoming elections are now rapidly shaping up as a contest over Israel’s fundamental character….

  By Theodore Sasson Jan 4, 2015 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Introducing: Who Sets the Table?

  For the past six years, the Forward has published a salary survey, a look into who earns what at America’s biggest Jewish not-for-profit organizations. What we’ve discovered is not, unfortunately, surprising. Women routinely earn less than men and occupy far few leadership positions. The point of the salary survey is to focus attention on the…

  By Elissa Strauss Jan 4, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Astronaut Snaps Stunning Photos of Israel. Spot the ’67 Lines from Space!

  NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore shot a series of amazing photos of Israel from on board the International Space Station as it passed over the region on a crystal-clear Christmas morning 10 days ago. They were posted on the International Space Station’s Facebook page. They are not color-enhanced. This is what it actually looks like from…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jan 4, 2015 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  How I Remember Mario Cuomo

  In my many years of public service, the late New York Governor Mario Cuomo stands out as a powerful figure who made his mark with both his mind and his words. A distinguished leader of the state for 12 years, Cuomo was a moving progressive thinker and a brilliant orator. His intelligent and compelling speeches…

  By Ruth Messinger Jan 2, 2015 | 2 min read