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
-
Opinion
Interdependent Minyanim
A saving grace of Jewish prayer is the way it is decentralized. It is not required to take place in a certain space or structure, nor is it dependent on a specific, sanctioned leader. Just 10 people (10 men, for the Orthodox) are really all that’s needed — a minyan, along with prayer books, a…
-
Opinion The Theological Roots of Reform Judaism’s Woes
For a brief moment, no longer than a decade, we Reform Jews have enjoyed repeating that we had become the largest American Jewish denomination. We reveled in the bad news emerging from the Conservative movement, as the children of many longtime members of Conservative synagogues joined Reform congregations, frequently after intermarrying. But today our triumphalism…
-
Opinion Patrilineal Promise and Pitfalls
One of Reform Judaism’s bravest and most important policy decisions of the past century was the movement’s decision to welcome “patrilineal” Jews as full members of the Jewish people. Rooted in the biblical definition of Jewish lineage, the American Reform movement’s 1983 policy on patrilineal descent held that Jewish identity could be claimed whether one’s…
Columnists View All
The Latest
-
Opinion Beyond ‘Yes or No’ Jewishness
Who “counts” as Jewish? Our community’s response to the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords highlighted the complexity of this question. In Jewish newspapers and on blogs, discussions about her Jewishness multiplied. Born to a non-Jewish mother and a Jewish father, she embraced Judaism only as an adult. Yet countless congregations recited mishebeirach prayers for her…
-
Opinion Look to Damascus and Turtle Bay
With revolutionary unrest sweeping the Arab Middle East, the focus is on democracy, not peace. Israel’s neighbors in Amman and Damascus are currently more worried about anti-regime unrest than they are about the failed peace process. The revelations about Israeli-Palestinian negotiating stances, revealed in detail by the Al Jazeera leaks a few weeks ago, have…
-
Opinion A Cairo Mob Yells ‘Jew! Jew!’ and Other Bad News
Hints of clouds behind the silver linings: The Cairo mob that attacked CBS News correspondent Lara Logan last Friday was yelling “Jew! Jew!” the New York Post reports, citing CBS sources. ”60 Minutes” correspondent Lara Logan was repeatedly sexually assaulted by thugs yelling, “Jew! Jew!” as she covered the chaotic fall of Egyptian President Hosni…
-
Opinion An Israeli Progressive Wonders at the Silence of American Jewish Liberals
If you’re not familiar with Coteret.com, you should be. It’s a must-read group blog by young Israeli progressives. Most of what they do is translating important news and analysis from the Hebrew press that doesn’t appear anywhere else in English. The blog also posts original musings. This one is a month old, but worth the…
-
Opinion Fun Facts: 2-Year-Old Accidentally Shoots Self in Texas
This is from today’s Houston Chronicle: 2-year-old accidentally shoots himself in Tyler Associated Press Feb. 15, 2011, 10:37AM TYLER – A 2-year-old boy is in critical condition after using a stool to get a gun and accidentally shooting himself in the chest in an East Texas home. Authorities said the incident happened Saturday night when…
-
Opinion On Family, Walk the Talk
Before Jerry Silverman became president and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America, before he worked for another national Jewish nonprofit, he was a leader in the business world. At Levi Strauss & Co. and the Stride Rite Corp., he saw the private-sector experiment with ways to recruit and retain employees concerned about balancing work…
-
Opinion Our Fallen
Read ‘Profiles of Our Fallen’ and Watch a Related Video. America is entering its 10th year of war, but outside certain neighborhoods and communities, it is hard to tell. Afghanistan and Iraq are worlds away, the missions there cloudy and complicated, and the absence of military conscription means the sacrifice is inequitably distributed. We all…
-
Letters A Misleading Picture
Homebound while recovering from surgery, I was able to watch many hours of footage from the Egyptian uprising online. I have seen exactly one overtly anti-Jewish sign, poster or banner from the protests: the one you chose to put on the front page of your February 11 issue. Your editorial “Egyptian Choices” states: “this isn’t…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
Culture ‘My mayor Muslim, my bagel Jewish’ — the Knicks chant capturing New York’s soul
- 2
Books In ‘Something We Said,’ Richard Pryor’s daughter finds words to discuss the unspeakable
- 3
Opinion It’s time for Jews who love Israel to give up on Zionism
- 4
Opinion Progressive Jews are trying out post-Zionism. There’s one big flaw in their approach
In Case You Missed It
-
Yiddish World מע קען שוין אָנגעבן אויף דער י. י. סיגאַל פּרעמיע 2026The 2026 J. I. Segal Award for Yiddish literature is now accepting submissions
-
Opinion Cultural boycotts of Israel just reached peak absurdity
-
Culture The Jewish friendship that let David Hockney experience ‘dangerous perfection’
-
Opinion Aristotle, Jewish ethics and the vexing case of Graham Platner