Opinion

• Opinion

  Untold Stories of the ‘T’ Folks in LGBT

  This week, the Forward launched our month-long series on the lives of transgender Jews. Our project kicked off with six profiles of transgender rabbis and rabbinical students. As the editor of the series, I first became interested in transgender issues after I spent a year reporting on gay and lesbian inclusion in Jewish settings. In…

  By Naomi Zeveloff

  3 min read
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  Opinion

  Pope John Paul II’s Divided Loyalties to Jews

  The Vatican has recently announced that two popes who were pioneers in Christian-Jewish relations — John XXIII and John Paul II — are leading candidates for canonization as saints in the Roman Catholic Church. John Paul II was, of course, the pope who followed in the steps of John XXIII in his forthright condemnation of…

  By Jerome Chanes Jul 17, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  At Scandal-Plagued IRS, Agents Make Crucial Judgments About God and Taxes

  Of all the things we’ve learned about the Internal Revenue Service these past few weeks, the most amazing item is this: The IRS has a highly attenuated sense for the proper place for God in our lives. Just listen in on a telephone conversation from 2012: An IRS agent named Sherry Wan is telling the…

  By Noam Neusner Jul 17, 2013 | 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

  Jews on 1st? Baseball and the Quest for Identity

  This year’s Major League Baseball All Stars game had two arguably Jewish players on the roster (out of 78 players total): second-baseman Jason Kipnis of Cleveland (American League) and first-baseman Paul Goldschmidt of Arizona (National League). Both have Jewish fathers and Christian mothers (same as the two arguably Jewish players on last year’s All Star…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jul 17, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Saving Trayvon Martin — With Jewish Law

  Under Jewish law one must protect oneself by injuring, instead of killing, a potential assailant, unless killing is the only option. One is also required to avoid any situation in which one’s life may be placed in danger. If George Zimmerman had abided by these simple principles, he should have chosen to avoid conflict and…

  By Eliyahu Federman Jul 16, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Don’t Send Eritreans Back to Hell Homeland

  The following is an open letter to Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States We are deeply concerned that Israel is about to return Eritrean asylum seekers before allowing for an appropriate refugee status determination process to take place. According to those detained in the Saharonim internment camp for asylum seekers, on July 14,…

  By Maya Paley and Stephen Slater Jul 16, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  How Fracking Conflicts With Kabbalah

  Every year, more than 100 billion gallons of water are used in the United States for hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” a process that breaks up rock in order to force out millions of cubic feet of natural gas. What people may not realize is that most of this water stays deep underground. The 20%–50% of…

  By David Seidenberg Jul 16, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  What Makes Democracy — in Egypt and the U.S.?

  “… whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.” —U.S. Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 It’s funny how watching the news can take you to new places and remind you how alike we are under the skin. Take this…

  By J.J. Goldberg Jul 15, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Jews Side With Mr. Clean Over Client 9

  Jewish Democrats are sticking with Mr. Clean in his battle with Client No. 9. In other words, Jews favor Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer in the race for New York City Comptroller, despite the headline-grabbing late entry of former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer into the once-sleepy contest. Stringer trounced Spitzer among New York City…

  By Josh Nathan-Kazis Jul 15, 2013 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Justice Delayed and Denied to Victims of Argentina Jewish Center Terror Bombing

  A powerful bomb destroyed the seven-story building in downtown Buenos Aires 19 years ago this week. Amidst the rubble of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Aid Association (AMIA) — the main Argentine Jewish organization — were 85 dead, Jews and non-Jews ranging in age from 18 to 73. Another 300 were injured. The country’s top political…

  By Dina Siegel Vann Jul 15, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Congress SNAPs Fingers — and Poor Risk Losing Food Stamps

  Context: Some years back – in 1986, to be precise – there was a day called “Hands Across America,” an effort to create a living line from Los Angeles to New York (minus, if memory serves, the Rockies). The purpose was to raise money to do battle against hunger. Nearly 7,000,000 people participated and the…

  By Leonard Fein Jul 15, 2013 | 3 min read