Opinion articles that represent the views of the Forward’s editors.
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Opinion True Freedom
This isn’t the most difficult Passover in Jewish history, but for many, the awful combination of economic collapse and global unrest will make it a challenge. Consumerism too often takes a seat at the Seder, corrupting the holiday’s central mission, which is not to spend, but to imagine. Passover is about doing with less for…
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Opinion The Politics of Rescue
It was Maimonides who said that there is no greater religious duty than pidyon shevuyim, the redemption of captives, an injunction with deep biblical roots and plenty of historical illustrations. This obligation fueled the movement to free Soviet Jews and undergirds the contemporary Israeli impulse to strike lopsided deals and embark on military campaigns to…
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Opinion Blaming the ‘Lobby’
This newspaper took no position on Charles Freeman’s suitability as director of the National Intelligence Council, and we’re not about to, particularly now that he’s withdrawn his name. It’s worth looking back at the arguments surrounding the nomination, though. They carry some important lessons about the dangerous direction of this country’s Middle East debate. Freeman’s…
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Opinion Papal Fallibility
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was not universally welcomed when he became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. Four years into his reign, the doubters’ fears are becoming steadily more understandable. The papacy does not lie easily on his shoulders. He is a scholar trying to be an inspirational leader, an ideologue trying to be a healer, a…
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Opinion Protect the Children
New York State Assemblywoman Marge Markey’s introduction to what has become a cause in her legislative life occurred a few years ago, when someone arrived at her home to ask for assistance from her and her husband, a judge. The person said he was sexually abused as a child, and Markey discovered that the more…
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Opinion Saving Tibet
When the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum opened to the public 26 years ago, the very first visitor was the Dalai Lama of Tibet. The Buddhist leader prayed for the millions killed in the Holocaust and decried the “evil” that led to their destruction. That first visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum was not the…
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Opinion Why We Give
President Obama’s plan to limit the tax deductions for charitable contributions by wealthy Americans is a clumsy way to reach a laudable goal. Clumsy, because it adds a new level of complexity and unfairness to a tax system that is already far too complex and inequitable. It will undoubtedly lead to some reduction in charitable…
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Opinion Victory in Sharm el-Sheikh
Israel scored a significant diplomatic victory at the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in early March, when representatives from more than 70 nations and international organizations gathered to discuss the reconstruction of Gaza. It’s important for Israelis and their friends to recognize what was gained there, and to resist the temptation to sulk over…
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Opinion I grew up believing Australia was the best place to be Jewish. This Hanukkah shooting forces a reckoning I do not want.
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