Opinion

• Opinion

  Why Does U.N. Love Israeli Caves? ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’!

  Jesus Christ Superstar filmed in Israel’s Beit Guvrin Bell Caves / Youtube What makes a place so special that it might be considered the inheritance of all humanity — a World Heritage site, as it were? If you were to consult UNESCO’s list of World Heritage criteria, you would see that the international body that…

  By Emily L. Hauser

  3 min read
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  Opinion

  The Jewish Left is Alive and Vibrant

  Lital Eliyauh, an Israeli left-wing demonstrator, runs from Israeli tear gas in the West Bank Earlier this week, Jay Michaelson wrote that the Jewish left is in decline and may be dying. As proof, he cited data and statistics, and then went on to provide very few data or statistics. But even if Michaelson had…

  By Moriel Rothman-Zecher Jun 25, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Presbyterian Divestment Feels Like Anti-Semitism

  In a hotel ballroom in Jerusalem jammed with journalists from all over the Jewish world, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a rambling speech that covered everything from Iran’s nuclear ambitions to an Israeli cow that he claims produces more milk than any other cow in the world. Really. But I want to focus on his…

  By Jane Eisner Jun 25, 2014 | 3 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 There’s a shocking new report on civilian deaths in Gaza. If only it were accurate.

  

• Nora Berman Is Netflix’s new show the most Jewish cartoon ever?

  

• Dan Perry Israel’s new gift to the far right could help end the Gaza war

  

• Emily Tamkin Entering motherhood — and an obsession with the works of an Italian Jewish literary hero

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Holiday for Jewish Refugees? Not Without Nakba Day.

  Moroccan Jews living in the Jewish ghetto in Marrakesh circa 1955 / Getty Images I wish I could cheer the latest bill approved by Israel’s Knesset. I should, theoretically, be happy about it — the new law is designed to address the issues of people like me. And yet, when I read about it, I…

  By Sigal Samuel Jun 24, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Why I’m a Liberal — and I Hate the Nanny State

  A few months ago I decided to research my genetic history. My partner and I were considering having children, and anyway, I was curious. So I signed up for 23andMe, which offers genetic testing by mail. All I had to do was spit into a vial, and a few weeks later I learned that I…

  By Jay Michaelson Jun 24, 2014 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  News Quiz: Laverne Cox and Michael Douglas Make News

  Greed may be good, but even better is having Michael Douglas right here in this week’s news quiz, along with ad men, airline mishaps and a resume builder you can believe in!

  By Lenore Skenazy Jun 23, 2014 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  Orthodoxy — It’s Not What They Want You To Think

  American Apparel’s idea of an Orthodox man What is “Orthodox”? Is it “Haredi”? Is it “Modern”? Is it “Ultra”? Is it “Yeshivish”? These days, the Orthodox world is a confusing place. Fifty years ago, Orthodox Jews (who had been known at the turn of the 20th century as “Traditionalist”) talked about three flavors of Orthodoxy:…

  By Jerome A. Chanes Jun 23, 2014 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Supporting Israel Isn’t All in the Family Anymore

  ‘There’s been a kidnapping in the family,” wrote Haaretz columnist Bradley Burston, of Israel’s reaction to the ongoing agony over three missing teenagers, still gone as of this writing. It feels that way in America, too. Whatever angst exists in the relationship between American Jews and Israel disappears in times of crisis, evidence of a…

  Jun 23, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  How Jews Are Honoring 3 Civil Rights Martyrs

  Last night, in my musical post in memory of the three civil rights workers slain in Mississippi 50 years ago, I argued that too little had been done to incorporate their martyrdom into our narrative of American Jewish history. It’s only fair that I take note of those Jewish organizations that did act to remember…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jun 22, 2014 | 5 min read
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  Opinion

  I Survived a Genocide That Could’ve Been Avoided

  Simba, 14, a child in conflict-ridden South Sudan / Getty Images The Forward’s Nathan Guttman recently reported that researchers may soon be able to predict where the world’s next genocide will take place. These number crunchers already have a good track record: apparently, their methodologies accurately predicted the recent genocide in South Sudan. As someone…

  By Logo Maya Jun 22, 2014 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Russian Jews Don’t Want to Hear About Being Saved

  The losses of Jacob Birnbaum on April 9, just a few days before Passover, and then Yuli Kosharovsky on April 15, the first day of the Festival of Freedom — both of them giants of the Soviet Jewry movement — seem particularly poignant. It happens to be the 50th anniversary of the first demonstration in…

  By Lea Zeltserman Jun 22, 2014 | 4 min read