What’s In a Jewish Father?

Image by Lior Zaltzman
Pop culture is flooded with images and stereotypes about Jewish moms. But what makes a Jewish dad is still shrouded in mystery.
Is he nebbishy? Is he silent, reading his morning paper? Is he boisterous and argumentative? Is he a hippy like in ‘Dharma and Greg’? Portrayal of Jewish dads are all over the board – they can’t be pinned down.
In honor of Father’s Day, I propose we go beyond the caricature. I want to hear what being a Jewish dad is all about, and what your Jewish fathers are like. My own abba is coming to visit me from Israel, and I intend to ask him just that question.
Send me a couple of sentences, or an anecdote that you think is the perfect example (zaltzman(at)forward.com) and I’ll create quick illustrations leading up to Father’s Day.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
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
