In the Forward’s opinion section, you’ll find analysis and essays from diverse corners of the Jewish world.
To pitch an opinion piece, email our Opinion Editor, Talya Zax.
In the Forward’s opinion section, you’ll find analysis and essays from diverse corners of the Jewish world.
To pitch an opinion piece, email our Opinion Editor, Talya Zax.
Israel has become a defining fact of Jewish life for Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews alike
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s tweets have landed her in the news, once again. Following an exchange with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in which Omar urged him to investigate both Israel and Hamas for human rights violations, Omar tweeted, “We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity….
Republicans, Democratic congressional leadership, and Jewish members of Congress are again condemning Rep. Ilhan Omar. The latest uproar is yet another example that in the hallowed halls of Congress, telling the truth about malevolent U.S. and Israeli foreign policy is treated as blasphemy. On June 7, following an exchange with Secretary of State Antony Blinken…
Juneteenth is almost here. The holiday, which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, is observed annually on the anniversary of June 19, 1865. People and news traveled much slower in those days, but true freedom took even longer. There would be another century of “legal” Jim Crow segregation and discrimination until the passage of…
Despite the fact that it’s a celebration, I have bittersweet feelings about Juneteenth. Its origins are traced to Union troops arriving in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, bringing the news of freedom to that region’s slaves—months after the South’s surrender and 2-1/2 years past the Emancipation Proclamation. That our ancestors were freed from slavery…
This is an adaptation of Looking Forward, a weekly email from our editor-in-chief sent on Friday afternoons. Sign up here to get the Forward’s free newsletters delivered to your inbox. And click here for a PDF of stories to savor over Shabbat and Sunday that you can download and print. I met a guy last…
There was no doubt in my mind that I would participate in the flag march through the streets of Jerusalem. Down to Damascus Gate, through the Old City’s Muslim quarter and finally arriving at the Western Wall, the flag march is a decades-old tradition celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem and the city’s bond with the…
It’s 12:34 a.m., and like millions of others during the pandemic, the imminent threat of death is keeping me awake. I distract myself by scrolling mindlessly through Facebook and Instagram, admiring the golden curves and the taut exteriors in my feeds. No, I’m not referring to the Kardashians or the #fitspo telling me how I…
The international community rallied to help end the devastating war that engulfed Israelis and Palestinians last month. Leadership from President Biden helped to secure a ceasefire after 11 days. The ceasefire was followed by important pledges from the U.S. and others to support vital reconstruction in Gaza. As of yet, however, it is not clear…
To the editor: It was with deep concern that I read the article “For the Conservative movement, an audit of ethics policies might be overdue” (June 1, 2021). The article, which used Rabbi Daniel Victor as the primary example of problematic conduct and disciplinary procedures, did not adequately explain the substance of the situation and…
As a Haredi Jew, I harbor politically and socially conservative views, very unlike those of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But my belief system includes a mandate to be committed to the ideal of truth. That mandate is what compelled me to rise to the defense of the progressive Congresswoman, on multiple occasions, when I felt she…
On a recent Shabbat, my family gathered to celebrate a new bride and groom. 30 of us were all looking forward to spending time together and enjoying ourselves. The highlight of Shabbat was a walking tour of the Abu Tor neighborhood in Jerusalem, one of the few mixed Arab and Jewish neighborhoods in Israel, which…
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