Opinion

• Opinion

  Where Was Rabbi Heschel at March on Washington?

  When the Forward decided to run a feature commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the Jewish influence on the seminal civil rights event, the first name discussed was that of Abraham Joshua Heschel, a close friend of Martin Luther King. Was he there? What role did he…

  By Seth Berkman

  2 min read
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  Opinion

  Leo Frank Trial Still Reverberates a Century Later

  On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the trial of Leo Frank in Atlanta, let’s begin by stating for the record: No, the Leo Frank case was not the impetus for the founding of the Anti-Defamation League. It is true that the organization, now celebrating its centennial, was founded the same year as the…

  By Abraham H. Foxman Aug 27, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  ‘Daily Show’ Picks Jon Stewart’s Top Jewish Bits

  On the eve of Jon Stewart’s return from his long film-making absence, “The Daily Show” compiles a few minutes’ worth of what they apparently consider his best Jewish routines. (Hat tip to Chemi Shalev for finding and tweeting this.) For my money, though, they left out at least two of his most memorable Jewish bits,…

  By J.J. Goldberg Aug 27, 2013 | < 1 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

  

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  Opinion

  Struggle and Triumph of College for Hasidim

  For most Americans, a solid high school education is a stepping stone to college. But Hasidic boys and girls who chose to pursue a higher degree do not have this foundation to build on. Most Hasidic boys receive one hour of English studies per day, four days per week, from third grade to bar mitzvah…

  By Frimet Goldberger Aug 27, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Change Sexist Attitudes — Not Ancient Prayer

  Josh Halpern’s essay, Should Men Thank God They Were Not Born Women? sensitively and articulately outlines many of the tensions facing those of us who are committed to the halacha and Orthodoxy and at the same time live in a world a seemingly incongruous world: a world where women are first-class politicians, lawyers, doctors, educators…

  By Ari Hart Aug 26, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Saving Polari

  A push in underway to save a most unusual language. Polari is a language — or to be exact a lexicon of 500 words approaching a language — used over the years in Britain by sailors, criminals, circus performers, prostitutes, immigrant Jews and Italians, and the gay community. In short, a bunch of people that…

  By Nathan Jeffay Aug 26, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Should Men Thank God They Were Not Born Women?

  Late this spring, my sister asked the administration at her Modern Orthodox high school if it would consider instituting a change to the morning prayer service. Instead of the usual practice of hurrying through the morning blessings, she wanted the male hazan to pause after reciting the blessing of “Shelo Asani Isha” (“Blessed are you…

  By Josh Halpern Aug 26, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  News Quiz: Nixon, Weiner and Ginsburg (Oh, My!)

  You’ve got Richard Nixon to kick around again this week, thanks to newly released anti-Semitic tapes. There’s also Anthony Weiner and Ruth Bader Ginsburg — but not together!

  By Lenore Skenazy Aug 26, 2013 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  Kippah in Crosshairs as Quebec Mulls Ban

  You may have heard that if Quebec’s government has its way, we’ll be seeing far fewer yarmulkes on the province’s streets. We certainly would be seeing none of them on the heads of people working or receiving services at government offices, and public schools, daycare centers and hospitals. The governing Parti Québécois party’s proposed “charter…

  By Renee Ghert-Zand Aug 26, 2013 | 2 min read
• Opinion

  Who Tests the Genetic Tests?

  Testing the Testers: The Coriell Institute and Genetic Testing from Doni Bloomfield on Vimeo. What happens when you can’t trust a test meant to stave off a fatal disease? When, even if the test is 99% percent accurate, you don’t believe what it reports? That’s a question that keeps geneticists like Dorit Berlin up at…

  By Doni Bloomfield Aug 26, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Sequestration’s Jewish Toll

  Lest you think that the thoughtless, cowardly attempt to reduce federal spending, known as sequestration, was nowhere near as bad as it sounded, listen to Nancy Volpert. She’s the director of public policy for the Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, the oldest charity in L.A. and one of the largest, an organization dedicated to…

  Aug 26, 2013 | 3 min read