Opinion

• Opinion

  In the Eye of Jerusalem’s Archaeological Storm

  Archaeological activity in Jerusalem has been sucked into a whirlwind of conflicting political agendas, and the site commonly referred to as “the City of David” is in the eye of the storm. At issue is a place of seminal importance for the Jewish people and indeed for anyone who cherishes the heritage of Western civilization….

  By Israel Finkelstein

  4 min read
• Opinion

  Refusing To Let Go of Tomorrow

  With my eyes closed, just listening to the singing, it is hard to imagine that I am not, in fact, at a Kabbalat Shabbat service at B’nai Jeshurun, the Upper West Side’s deservedly fabled synagogue. But on opening my eyes and glancing out the open door, the illusion is revealed. I am in fact in…

  By Leonard Fein Apr 26, 2011 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  Ending the Culture of Silence

  At the Passover Seder, we are supposed to ask questions about why things are done the way they are. Recently I asked some questions about the government-funded social service agency that serves my Jewish community in Brooklyn, the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council. Specifically, I questioned the policy that only allows men to vote for…

  By Eliyahu Federman Apr 24, 2011 | 3 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 The 3 responses to the Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack that could make Jews safer

  

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

  

The Latest

• Opinion

  At Some Point During Shabbes I Apparently Became an Enemy of the Torah

  Well, here it is, Saturday night. Some time around 8:30 I observe that Shabbes is over, so I crank up the old laptop to see what’s new and catch up with my Forward fan mail. My latest column on Palestinian statehood had some pretty lively back-and-forth going on as of Friday evening, and I’m eager…

  By J.J. Goldberg Apr 24, 2011 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  Pick Your Peril

  Passover is best known as the festival of freedom, but it has a second name that resonates just as deeply: the festival of spring. The two are not unrelated. Spring, the season of renewal, brings its own promise of freedom. It brings warmth and new growth, freeing us from the hardships of winter. More important,…

  Apr 20, 2011 | 2 min read
• Opinion

  The Real and the Virtual

  For those who are still skeptical of the power of the “virtual” world — and not just its power to mobilize people, but its power to change how we see and think, who we are — there’s this. For the more than 2,000 participants in this audacious experience, the line between the virtual and the…

  By Leonard Fein Apr 20, 2011 | 4 min read
• 
  Opinion

  As the Palestinians Pursue Statehood, Israel Won’t Take ‘Yes’ for an Answer

  This is a bit complicated, but it’s very important, so try and keep up. We’ll take questions afterward. Israel faces a grave diplomatic crisis this fall. The Palestinians are planning to demand recognition from the United Nations General Assembly as a sovereign state within the 1949 armistice line or Green Line, on the territory governed…

  By J.J. Goldberg Apr 20, 2011 | 4 min read
• 
  Opinion

  Stand Firm Against Unilateral Statehood Push

  A Palestinian unilateral declaration of statehood, which could occur as soon as September, is rapidly becoming a source of profound Israeli anxiety. Israel clearly fears a situation in which, following a United Nations General Assembly resolution recognizing a Palestinian state, it would find itself accused daily of violating the rights of a fellow U.N. member…

  By Meyrav Wurmser Apr 20, 2011 | 4 min read
• Opinion

  Our Divisive Discourse

  “You say you’re pro-Israel, but you’re really not.” These words may sound reminiscent of the recent Knesset hearing about J Street. But they’re from an entirely different source: a high school junior we will call “Isaac.” Long before the Knesset questioned J Street’s activities, Isaac and his 11th-grade classmates were debating what it means to…

  By Sivan Zakai Apr 20, 2011 | 3 min read
• Opinion

  Our Skewed Priorities

  “Can someone name a minority group in Israel?” I once asked a class of high school seniors at a well-known Jewish day school. The students — the apple of the Jewish community’s eye — suddenly became fixated upon the floor tiles as they studiously avoided eye contact with me. Finally, one girl slowly raised her…

  By David Dabscheck Apr 20, 2011 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  France’s Ban, and Israel’s Burka Problem

  Israel, and particularly its rabbis, could learn from France’s ban on face veils. With this new law France has made a powerful statement about the level of integration it expects from Muslim citizens, and about the status of women in its society. Israel’s religious sector needs to make similar statements. The target would not be…

  By Miriam Shaviv Apr 18, 2011 | 3 min read