As I studied the contents of “Through a Different Lens,” the Museum of the City of New York’s exhibition of Stanley Kubrick’s early photography, I played a game with myself. I tried to forget that the photographs had been taken by the director who made “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Eyes Wide Shut.” Instead, I…
With August 25 marking his centenary, Massachusetts-born Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) remains the 20th century’s most famous Jewish musician. His Symphony No. 1 Jeremiah and Symphony No. 3 (Kaddish), among other works, are lasting contributions to the orchestral repertoire, as memoirs by musical associates, including Jack Gottlieb and John Mauceri attest. Bernstein’s Yiddishkeit was essential to…
When Beth Singer was a rabbi at her first full-time pulpit, she went into labor when she was about to perform a funeral. Her contractions were coming 20 minutes apart, so she decided to proceed with the funeral. Jewish funerals rarely last longer than 40 minutes, so she knew she could time one contraction for…
With all eyes on the U.S. Supreme Court, now is the time to think about justice — both the noun and the idea. For centuries, tzedek, the Hebrew word for justice, and its close relative, tzedakah, charity, have attracted the great minds of Judaism, from the prophet Isaiah to Maimonides — what we might think…
Google the words “iconic Israeli photo,” and a predictable image comes up. It is the photograph of the three awestruck Israeli paratroopers against the Western Wall, taken just after Israel captured it from Jordan in 1967. Photographed by David Rubinger, who died last year, the picture symbolizes Israel’s triumph in the Six Day War, a…
“In the 21st century, it’s time to accelerate our transition to a clean-energy economy, reduce our carbon footprint, and preserve our planet for future generations,” Democratic House candidate Dean Phillips proclaims on his campaign website. But an investigation into his family’s foundation showed that their endowment had assets worth more than $1 million from multiple…
“It’s a lot darker than a Disney movie,” Paula Bernstein says to a chirpy talk show host who has just compared the magical coincidences of her separated-at-birth story to a fantasy from the wonderful world of Uncle Walt. The host is gobsmacked by the facts that Paula and her identical twin sister Elyse Schein both…
This story was updated on October 17 to reflect important developments in key races and our overall predictions. Fueled by a growing Democratic wave, Jewish candidates stand to pick up four additional seats in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate in the coming midterm elections, an exclusive Forward statistical analysis reveals. With…
100% of profits support our journalism
