Opinion

• Opinion

  How Yiddish Could Save the Jewish People

  The American Jewish community and its media frequently express concern about the Jewish future in America, citing mounting rates of assimilation and increasingly liberal trends in religious practice. In this discussion, intermarriage is frequently conceived of as being both the standard measure and the primary symptom of just how assimilated Jews are. What is usually…

  By Jordan Kutzik

  3 min read
• 
  Opinion

  Bibi’s New Settlement Plan: Just Talk, Not Action

  Israel’s latest announcement of permits for 1,200 new housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has stirred a hornets’ nest of angry responses. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said it could undermine the negotiating process before it’s even started. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said America does “not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement…

  By J.J. Goldberg Aug 12, 2013 | 2 min read
• 
  Opinion

  Israel’s Everyday Racism — and How American Jews Turn a Blind Eye to It

  The Anti-Defamation League and the rest of the American Jewish establishment owe Jesse Jackson a big apology. They put the man through the wringer, they made him apologize in every possible forum for his “Hymie” and “Hymietown” remarks back in 1984. Yet look at the kinds of things Israeli leaders — senior government ministers, chief…

  By Larry Derfner Aug 12, 2013 | 4 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 The challah that changed everything: Tracing Jewish baking back to Poland

  

• Nora Berman The Kennedy Center canceled all its ‘woke’ programming — so why is this Jewish musical OK?

  

• 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

• 
  Opinion

  How Education Can Combat Israeli Racism

  Please resist the urge to stop reading this article as soon as a certain word rears its ugly head. This is not an indictment. On the contrary — it’s a letter of commendation, a borderline puff piece. But the good news only makes sense in the context of the bad news, and I don’t know…

  By Marc Grey Aug 12, 2013 | 4 min read
• 
  Opinion

  Marijuana Legalization Is Freedom of Religion Cause

  Medical marijuana is spreading in acceptance, with Illinois this month becoming the 20th state to legalize medical marijuana. But so far no states have legalized religious marijuana use, even though there is compelling reason to do so. People consume alcohol for religious reasons, especially Jews. At least 25 states even allow minors to consume alcohol…

  By Eliyahu Federman Aug 12, 2013 | 2 min read
• 
  Opinion

  News Quiz: ‘Potter’ Star’s New Role

  True, this week’s quiz touches on Anthony Weiner and pickles, but not in the same question. We have our standards! We also have Daniel Radcliffe, A-Rod and Dr. Zizmor, all ready to quiz you about the Jewish news of the week.

  By Lenore Skenazy Aug 12, 2013 | < 1 min read
• 
  Opinion

  The Serious Side of Jewish Political Scandals

  There’s been something unsettling about all the public fascination with the political sex scandals parading through the headlines this summer. It seems as though the private misconduct of our public officials interests us more than their actual performance of the work we pay them to do. Perhaps it touches us more deeply. Or perhaps we…

  By J.J. Goldberg Aug 12, 2013 | 4 min read
• 
  Opinion

  Confusion Reigns as U.S. Tries To Grasp New Qaeda

  A week after the dramatic terror alert that shut down 19 U.S. embassies, experts are starting to weigh in on what it means, and specifically what it tells us about the state of Al Qaeda. If I can sum up the answer in two words, it would be: not much. Here’s what Fareed Zakaria has…

  By J.J. Goldberg Aug 11, 2013 | 4 min read
• 
  Opinion

  Let ‘Em Eat Nothing

  “Eat Mexicans.” That’s Stephen Colbert’s advice to people who will be tossed aside when Congress finally gets around to overhauling the food stamp program. The solution proposed by the House Republican leadership is only slightly less macabre than Colbert’s — and, unfortunately, it is serious, as we may assume Colbert’s advice is not. The plan?…

  By Leonard Fein Aug 10, 2013 | 3 min read
• 
  Opinion

  Why Iranian Leader Hassan Rowhani May Not Be Ahmadinejad II

  While the rest of the world cautiously welcomed the surprise election of Hassan Rowhani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood virtually alone in swiftly dismissing the Iranian centrist as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And when Iranian news agencies misquoted Rowhani as calling Israel an “old wound” that must be removed, Netanyahu was quick to…

  By Trita Parsi Aug 9, 2013 | 4 min read
• 
  Opinion

  J Street’s Breakthrough With Likud and Shas

  J Street, the dovish pro-Israel lobby that was shunned in its early years by Israeli government officials, is now making another step toward the acceptance by Israeli politicians. This coming September, J Street will host, for the first time, a member of Knesset from the ruling Likud Party and a member of the ultra-Orthodox Shas…

  By Nathan Guttman Aug 9, 2013 | 2 min read