In Song: Nitzavim-Vayelech
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
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Each week The Arty Semite connects the Torah reading — however tenuously — with a classic work of rock ‘n’ roll.
In this week’s double parsha, Nitzavim-Vayelech, Moses gives his final warnings to the People of Israel about the pitfalls that await them in the Land of Israel.
Leadership of the people is ceremoniously transferred to Joshua, and Moses gives the order to gather the people to hear his final testimony and parting words.
Earlier, the mitzvah of “Hakhel” is given, wherein the nation gathers to hear the reading of the Torah by the king at the Temple once every seven years. Or, as the Fab Four might say:
Why I became the Forward’s editor-in-chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
— Alyssa Katz, editor-in-chief
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