In the Forward’s opinion section, you’ll find analysis and essays from diverse corners of the Jewish world.
To pitch an opinion piece, email our Opinion Editor, Talya Zax.
Opinion
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Opinion
Forgive Us for Clicking on Sam Horowitz’s Bar Mitzvah Drama
Ashamnu, bagadnu, gazalnu, dibarnu dofi. The words of the Vidui are familiar to most Jews as being part of the Yom Kippur collective confessional. When we recite the Vidui, we all stand — as congregants, as people, as Jews — and confess to sins. These sins to which we confess are ones that we ourselves…
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Opinion Respect Jewish Dissent on Israel
Throughout centuries of Jewish history, there has been a rich and wide-ranging debate over what constitutes Jewish values and how we might live them out as Jews. Talmudic tradition repeatedly makes it clear that this debate is in fact, a sacrosanct cornerstone of our spiritual heritage. Jewish Voice for Peace is proud to be part…
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Opinion Waiting on Y.U.
It is now eight months since the Forward reported allegations that two rabbis at Yeshiva University High School for Boys in Manhattan had sexually and physically abused students during the 1970s and 1980s, and that the Y.U. administration allowed the rabbis to go to other jobs rather than face prosecution. Eight months since the school…
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Opinion The Leo Frank Story
The trial, conviction and subsequent lynching of Leo Frank a century ago is considered by some historians to represent a turning point in the history of Jews in America. In hindsight, we can acknowledge the irony in that assertion: A horrible incident of anti-Semitic injustice and violence led to a positive outcome, forging a powerful…
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Opinion Newtown Gets Some Advice From Israel
The people of Newtown have received plenty of advice on keeping children safe since their town was plunged into the national spotlight last December. Now, Israel is offering its best words of wisdom. “Awareness has become part of our DNA,” said David Rubin, a former Israeli government official. Rubin and a group of Israeli experts…
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Opinion Hagel, the Israel Lobby and Kerry’s Peace Bid
The Daily Beast just posted a magazine-length article by yours truly looking back at the Chuck Hagel confirmation battle and the role (or lack thereof) of the Jewish community and the notorious “Israel lobby” in the affair. What’s surprising about the whole affair, on close reexamination, is how absent the Jewish advocacy community was from…
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Opinion Israel’s Illogical Grudge Against the European Union
A mystery: At first blush, Israel’s irritation with the European Union is perfectly understandable. The EU has informed Israel that it must explicitly state that any EU-Israel partnership agreements are not applicable to the West Bank, Gaza or East Jerusalem. The new guidelines restrict any scientific collaboration, investment or the awarding of grants to institutions…
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Opinion Detained as Security Risks: 2 Cases. Compare.
Two weirdly similar articles showed up in my email this morning. Both are by political activists who don’t particularly regard themselves as political activists but as voices of reason. Both ran into intrusive law enforcement, in the name of national security, that violated the freedoms each one values—freedom of inquiry in one case, freedom of…
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Opinion Feel-Good Stories Obscure Ugly Mideast Truths
The Israeli government invests considerable effort in promoting its image in the foreign media. It’s called “hasbara,” which comes from the Hebrew root “to explain.” Israelis tend to be patriotic, with many believing their country is unfairly vilified in the foreign media. And so they embrace hasbara as a legitimate corrective measure. But for critics…
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Opinion When Israel’s Help for Injured Syrian Children Is More Than Craven Hasbara
If you look at Israel and see only the occupation, any news in which Israelis come off positively is nothing but distraction, spin or — to use that vilified Israeli term — hasbara. This is an understandable sort of cynicism, even for those of us who are not of the BDS left. After all, Israel…
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Opinion News Quiz: Jerry Lewis, Craigslist and the Cronut
Not every creative endeavor is a great one, as we note in this week’s quiz, which touches on a Jerry Lewis movie and a Craigslist personal ad that may or may not bring joy (and boy) to its writers. But at least we’re hoping for that last one.
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Culture ‘My mayor Muslim, my bagel Jewish’ — the Knicks chant capturing New York’s soul
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Opinion The Iran war ended terribly for the US, and even worse for Israel
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Opinion Cultural boycotts of Israel just reached peak absurdity
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Film & TV In ‘Disclosure Day,’ Steven Spielberg finds himself at odds with Jewish thought about aliens
In Case You Missed It
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Culture Ever the restless spirit, Tel Aviv-born architect and designer Ron Arad is still reinventing himself and his art
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News New Jewish-Arab political party debuts in Israel, aiming to topple Netanyahu
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Fast Forward Trump says Syria would do a ‘better job’ of fighting Hezbollah than Israel
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News In new book, JD Vance says Charlie Kirk warned him about antisemitism on the right