Opinion

• Opinion

  Stigmatizing the Unmarried

  In the insular Jewish world there is constant buzz around the so-called shidduch (marriage) crisis, where Orthodox are single despite wanting to find a mate. This marriage worldview manifested itself in a recent letter, published on the Jewish news site Shmais, in which an anonymous “older single girl” describes her shame and depression for being…

  By Eliyahu Federman

  < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  A Proud Newspaper Legacy

  The inappropriate question tweeted late last year by media mogul Rupert Murdoch raised the touchy subject once again. “Why is Jewish owned press so consistently anti-Israel in every crisis?” were his exact words. The context was the escalating Israeli bombardment of Gaza after a long series of rocket attacks by Hamas, and Murdoch’s scarcely-disguised critique…

  Aug 7, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Nechemya Weberman and His Devoted Wife

  When Nechemya Weberman was found guilty and was sentenced to 103 years in prison for repeatedly raping a girl who he was supposed to be counseling, most thought the grisly tale was over. This was a record sentence for a Hasidic man convicted in a Brooklyn courtroom. The counselor had fallen, and his cloistered Satmar…

  By Allison Yarrow Aug 6, 2013 | 4 min read

Columnists View All

• Jay Michaelson What can really be done to prevent antisemitic attacks like Bondi Beach?

  

• Rob Eshman Australia shooting terrifies Jews worldwide — and strengthens the case for Israel

  

• Nora Berman Did crypto-Jews invent the modern tarot deck?

  

• Dan Perry An Israeli media mainstay is crumbling. Will liberal democracy go with it?

  

• Emily Tamkin The fundamental miscalculation behind the GOP’s antisemitism crisis

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Saying ‘Shabbat Shalom’ in Sarajevo

  (JTA) — Sarajevo is a city with a rich multicultural past, but it also bears the scars of war. Take a short walk through the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina and you will see the many cemeteries and bullet-riddled walls, which are undergoing restoration. These lay side by side with magnificent churches, mosques and synagogues. For this…

  By Itai Reuveni Aug 5, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Vigorous Debate Over Day Schools

  A piece by our columnist, Jordana Horn, elicited a lot of response from readers last week. She argued that Jewish day school was not essential to instilling a sense of Jewish identity in children. Instead, what we need is a kind of Jewish homeschooling, Jordana said, creating a real and vibrant Jewish family life for…

  By Gal Beckerman Aug 5, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Jewish Day Schools? Our Future Depends on Them

  Jordana Horn’s recent article asks the singular question, Who Says You Need Day School? The question is simple and so is the answer. Nothing less than the future of the Jewish people rests on the existence of vibrant Jewish day schools. If we are to have a future as a people — we need day…

  By Helene Wingens Aug 5, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Why Intermarriage Poses Threat to Jewish Life — But Gay Marriage Doesn’t

  Nothing creates controversy and polarization in the United States more than discussing same-sex marriage, and nothing brings the anxieties of American Jewry to the surface more than discussions of intermarriage. Both of these issues have gotten some attention in the American Jewish world over the past few weeks. And in the process, they have raised…

  By Yoel Finkelman Aug 5, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Weiner-Spitzer Waltz: Covering Jewish Scandals

  America loves a juicy sex scandal, heaven knows, so it’s natural for the sudden explosion of three at once, all involving prominent politicians, to attract an avalanche of national attention in all the major media—print, broadcast, Internet and late-night comedy. But the fact that all three of the principals are Jewish creates a ticklish situation…

  By J.J. Goldberg Aug 5, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Forgetting the Mideast Conflict Is Easy in Israel — and That’s a Big Problem

  The best place to forget the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is Israel. In American Jewish circles, we talk about it all the time. But enjoying a café hafuch in southern Jerusalem’s Anglo-populated neighborhoods such as the German Colony or Katamon, it feels a world away. Ironic, isn’t it — since from those cafes, the conflict is actually…

  By Jay Michaelson Aug 4, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  For True Peace, All Issues Must Be Resolved

  The brambled path that winds through all the efforts to resolve Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians is littered with failure. Here, some prisoners released; there, some interventions by Israel’s High Court of Justice to limit Israel’s encroachment on Palestinian lands. Here, a pledge to avoid incitement; there, cooperation on security issues. Add all the leaky…

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

  ‘Who Am I To Judge?’

  He’s not our spiritual leader, of course, but the brief remarks by Pope Francis suggesting that he would not judge priests for their sexual orientation could serve as a humble lesson for the Jewish community, as well. “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to…

  Aug 3, 2013 | < 1 min read