In the Forward’s opinion section, you’ll find analysis and essays from diverse corners of the Jewish world.
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Opinion
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Opinion British Zealot’s Libertarian Lipstick
It was ever-so-slightly distressing to see an august community institution like London’s Jewish Chronicle granting a platform to Nigel Farage, leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), on Wednesday evening. As someone who dedicates a good deal of his days to fostering an unwelcome climate for the most vulnerable in society — tarting up…
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Opinion Trayvon Martin and the 55% Tragedy
By now most of us have heard the big numbers involved in gun violence in this country. Given the anguished cries of protest following the acquittal of George Zimmerman, it’s time we started paying attention to some of the smaller numbers. In 2010 there were 31,672 deaths from firearms in the United States, according to…
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Opinion The Power of the Press
Last December, when Forward staff writer Paul Berger was immersed in reporting allegations of sexual abuse at Yeshiva University’s high school for boys, I could see firsthand the toll it took on him. Our newsroom had been displaced by Hurricane Sandy, and we were temporarily working in a massive, open space without offices or cubicles….
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Opinion Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman and Din Rodef
It’s rare that Saturday nights and Sunday mornings in America are so focused on a court decision. But since last night’s acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting of 17-year-old unarmed Trayvon Martin, it seems that all of America is talking about the verdict reached by six anonymous female jury members in Florida. Individuals and…
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Opinion Why I Resigned From Claims Conference Board — And Why You Should Care
After serving for a decade on the Board of Directors of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, I resigned in protest on July 10. The Claims Conference, as it is commonly known, was created in 1951 to secure some measure of justice for Jewish victims of Nazi persecution. Its staff of 400 administers…
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Opinion Second Chances?
Yes, America loves a second chance. Even politicians who have been scorched in a sex scandal — sex being far more problematic than money or violence when it comes to sin — often rise Phoenix-like to run another campaign and chase after redemption at the ballot box. Rewarding the Comeback Kid knows no partisan, geographic…
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Opinion Could Settlements Ease Israel Housing Crisis?
Two years after the Tel Aviv social protest movement was born out of anger at high property prices, Israelis have been told that they’ve misunderstood the problem all along. It is, the new Housing Minister insists, that there’s too little settlement activity. “The key to immediately stopping the rise in home prices is massive building…
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Opinion When ‘Little Rivka’ Marries Yitzchak
I refuse to teach my 2-year-old daughter the story, in Genesis chapter 24-25, where the commentary Rashi describes 3-year-old Rivka marrying 40-year-old Yitzchak. The book “Kind Little Rivka,” which also chronicles the story of this underage marriage, is no longer on her bookshelf. I recently purchased the book on Amazon after a quick review of…
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Sports First Puka Nacua, now Mookie Betts: Why do sports stars keep getting antisemitic around a Jewish streamer?
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Culture Why do Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas?
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Culture We tried to fix Hallmark’s Hanukkah problem. Here’s the movie we made instead
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Holy Ground One of America’s first Jewish farms was nearly lost to history. Now these Brooklyn parents are risking everything to keep their family’s legacy alive.
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Culture Waiting on line on Christmas is a time-honored New York tradition — was it ever thus?
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Fast Forward It’s not just a myth that Jews head to Chinese restaurants on Christmas. It’s science.
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Fast Forward Tucker Carlson named ‘Antisemite of the Year’
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Fast Forward Jewish groups defend European media monitors banned for what State Dept. calls ‘censorship’
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