Opinion

• Opinion

  Bill De Blasio Takes Well-Worn Pro-Israel Path

  Bill De Blasio and his family celebrate inauguration as New York mayor. Like predecessors at Gracie Mansion, liberal and conservative alike, Hizzoner is hewing a pro-Israel line. (JTA) — New York City’s new mayor, Bill de Blasio, drew some attention last week with his remarks at an American Israel Public Affairs Committee event. “Part of…

  By Daniel Treiman

  3 min read
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  Opinion

  Negotiating Our Way Out of Catastrophe

  Sometimes it’s the smaller milestones that teach the bigger lessons. Take this past January 22. It was the 70th anniversary of Executive Order 9417, issued in 1944 by Franklin D. Roosevelt to create the War Refugee Board, tasked with rescuing European Jews from the Nazi death machine. During the remaining 16 months until the European…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jan 26, 2014 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  There’s a Good Reason for ‘Singling Out’ Israel

  In a recent letter to university officials, Hillel President Eric Fingerhut and Israel on Campus Coalition Executive Director Jacob Baime decried “efforts to hold Israel to a different standard than any other nation.” Is that true? Is Israel being held to a different standard than other nations? Here, I will argue first that the different…

  By Jay Michaelson Jan 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 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

  Is Israel Safe Without Troops on Jordan River?

  While Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies insist that Israel must maintain military control over the Jordan River in order to make sure that hostile forces don’t cross over and turn a Palestinian state into a forward base for attacks on Israel, Israel’s main security professionals continue to argue that Israel can accept…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jan 24, 2014 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Caleb Jacoby’s Disappearance Is Our Business

  Two weeks ago was a strange time in the Boston Jewish community. Caleb Jacoby, the 16-year-old son of prominent conservative Jewish columnist Jeff Jacoby went missing. There was a huge and unexpected outpouring of support from the Jewish community on social media; much has already been written about this. Yes, it was wonderful, and yes,…

  By Adena Cohen-Bearak Jan 23, 2014 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Jewish Senate Iran Sanctions (Fuzzy) Math

  Want to know who stands where on Iran sanctions? We’ve got the answer — at least for the 10 Jewish senators. Of course, it’s never quite that simple. See below for the fine print. Senators who had signed on as co-sponsors are listed as supporters of the bill. Senators who have spoken out publicly against…

  By Nathan Guttman Jan 23, 2014 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  Turning to Day Schools When Synagogues Just Won’t Do

  My name is Ken Gordon, and I don’t belong to a synagogue. When the Pew Research Center reported that two-thirds of American Jews are in the same situation, I didn’t break out into a cold Jewish sweat, as did so many of my colleagues. I thought instead: I’m not alone! My wife and I send…

  By Ken Gordon Jan 23, 2014 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Women Can — And Must — Lay Tefillin

  A woman prays wearing tefillin in Jerusalem/Getty Images Must, should, or can observant Jewish women wrap tefillin, or not? This well-worn question was recently revived thanks to the two Modern Orthodox high schools in New York — SAR and Ramaz — that have tepidly embraced female students who wish to wrap tefillin publicly in their…

  By Will Friedman Jan 22, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Do Jewish Voices Count More on Israel and Iran?

  Sanctions bill sponsor Sen. Robert Menendez addresses AIPAC annual policy conference, Washington Convention Center, March 5, 2013. / Getty Images In American politics, do Jewish voices count more on Israel than others? Should they? And who’s counting? UCLA professor Mark Kleiman, for one, who called on his Washington Monthly blog for readers to lobby their…

  By Raphael Magarik Jan 22, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  The N-Word’s Real Crime

  Did you know that it’s technically against the law to use the word “nigger” in New York City? The City Council voted unanimously — as in 49 to nothing — to encourage New Yorkers not to use the N-word and to learn about its racist provenance. This was back in 2007, but you’d be hardpressed…

  Jan 22, 2014 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  My Fight To Lay Tefillin At an Orthodox School

  A young woman prays wearing tefillin on April 11, 2013 in Jerusalem, Israel. / Getty Images On December 8, 2013, SAR High School principal Rabbi Naphtali Harcsztark permitted students Ronit Morris and Yael Marans to lay tefillin in the school’s daily women’s prayer group, allowing them to do so within the school building. While this…

  By Eliana Fishman Jan 21, 2014 | 3 min read