Opinion

• Letters

  Good Books

  On behalf of PJ Library, a program dedicated to giving the gift of quality Jewish children’s literature to families across North America and doing so at a rate of 95,000 books each month, I would like to respond to Deborah Kolben’s Jan. 31 column. “Where Have All the Good Jewish Books for Kids Gone?” We…

  < 1 min read
• Letters

  Giving Back

  For nearly 40 years, the Jewish Communal Fund has been helping our donors achieve their philanthropic goals simply and efficiently. While our assets have grown to more than $1 billion, we take great pride in the fact that we distribute between 24% and 36% of our assets annually to thousands of qualified public charities at…

  Feb 8, 2012 | < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  Why I Filed Title VI Complaint

  Mark Yudof, president of the University of California, claims that two federal complaints against his university, alleging a hostile environment for Jewish students, are without merit. While expressing general support for the recent extension of the provisions of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include Jewish students, Yudof does not believe that…

  By Tammi Rossman-Benjamin Feb 8, 2012 | 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 I have the answer to Jon Stewart’s toughest question about Israel

  

• Nora Berman ‘Eddington’ is full of conspiracy theories but it’s not about Jews. Or is it?

  

• Dan Perry Recognizing a Palestinian state is a great way to doom Palestinians

  

• Emily Tamkin Is starvation in Gaza really Israel’s fault? The facts are clear

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Israel’s Silent March to War With Iran

  The atmosphere in Israel is pretty surreal these days. The whole world seems to be asking whether we’re going to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities this year — the whole world except this Israeli part of it. There is zero tension in the air, and awfully little interest in the subject as far as I can…

  By Larry Derfner Feb 7, 2012 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  Free Speech for Reporters, Too

  The first national conference of the BDS movement, going on now at the University of Pennsylvania, has certainly riled up people on all sides of this controversial topic, as our Naomi Zeveloff reports here. Let’s put aside for a moment whether this movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel is about undoing the Israeli…

  By Jane Eisner Feb 5, 2012 | 2 min read
• Opinion

  Poverty in America: A Crisis Ignored

  Poor Jews, the saying goes, are middle-class Jews without money. The unstated assumption is that the conventional cultural standards of the middle class are not displaced by a “culture of poverty” when Jews tumble down the class ladder. It is, however, important to remember that some Jews — estimates vary, but a reasonable guess is…

  By Leonard Fein Feb 5, 2012 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  The Days After

  The new year begins with a blizzard of stories, reports, analyses and exhortations about the threat of a nuclear Iran and the means — if they exist — to stop it. For now, we will leave it to the experts to argue over whether a military strike can be effective, prosecuted by Israel alone or…

  Feb 3, 2012 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Create Tax for Jewish Education

  Although the salary gap in the Jewish communal world is not as disparate as that between other workers and corporate CEOs or money managers, it remains substantial. Some of our teachers and social service workers — on the front lines of Jewish continuity and caring — receive poverty-level wages, while some executives receive salaries in…

  By Leonard Saxe Feb 3, 2012 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Follow the Ethical Guidlines

  Corporate boards, whether in the for-profit or nonprofit sector, are accountable to the communities for which and in which they operate. Boards serve numerous functions, including setting the overall mission of the organization; hiring, compensating and evaluating the performance of CEOs; ensuring adequate financial resources and oversight; recruiting new board members to replace retiring board…

  By Moses L. Pava Feb 3, 2012 | 2 min read
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  Opinion

  Train More Capable Leaders

  Executive salaries in the Jewish community — as elsewhere in both the nonprofit and corporate worlds — often correspond very little with the size, complexity or profit of their organizations. Ultimately, it is the board that determines the executive director’s salary. And though the organization’s size and financial soundness must be taken into account, it…

  By David A. Teutsch Feb 3, 2012 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Hire and Pay Fairly and Equally

  The problem of income disparity in the world of Jewish organizations comes down to the question of value. There is nothing wrong with CEOs being well paid if they are doing extraordinary work on behalf of their mission and constituencies. But what are these salaries actually based on? In the world of high finance, CEOs…

  By Shifra Bronznick Feb 3, 2012 | 3 min read