Identity
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Sephardic Story Is One Forgotten By White Jews
It is a familiar story of Sephardic Jews in the Americas, one that continues to challenge the central narratives of the American Jewish experience.
How Birthright Fixed My Jewish Imposter Syndrome
The El Al security officer’s dark gaze bored into mine, then flicked over the middle name on my passport. “Shay. That’s Arabic, isn’t it?”
Growing Up Latina and Jewish, I Was A Contradiction
In a town full of Jews, our identity was a contradiction. As Latinos we were exotic, yet as Jews we were part of mainstream.
I’m a Proud Jew — But Sometimes I ‘Pass’ as Not Jewish
By most accounts, I am not a self-hating Jew. Yet I sometimes keep quiet about my identity.
How Brexit Threatens My Jewish Son’s European Identity
There is a European identity. Instead of kids feeling alienated by being away from home, my son’s school encourages the sense that they’re all part of one community.
7 Prescriptions for American Jewish Anxiety
After Gal Beckerman diagnosed the ‘pathology’ plaguing American Jews, we invited Forward readers to prescribe solutions. Here are seven of your responses.
The Pathology Plaguing American Jews
Gal Beckerman spent four years as opinion editor of the Forward. Above all, he got to know firsthand the gut-churning, fraught, panicked and uncomfortable state of being an American Jew today. Here is his diagnosis.
So Apparently, My Name Means 'Chickenshit' in Hebrew
Naomi Zeveloff was always told that her name meant ‘son of Zevel’ in Russian. Then she moved to Israel, where it has a very different meaning.
For New Israelis, Hebrew Names Are About Autonomy, Not Assimilation
For more than 100 years, Jewish immigrants to the Holy Land have been Hebraizing their names. But unlike other immigrant trends, this wasn’t about assimilation. It was about autonomy.
Country Roads Took Me Home to West Virginia
What kind of place is West Virginia for an aspiring young Jew? Turns out, for Marc Bailes it was perfect. There, in a shul of 10 people, he found his Jewish identity.