Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of former U.S. president Barack Obama and his relationship to the Jewish community.
Barack Obama
The Latest
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The Schmooze Yiddish Songs and Workers’ Rights: Notes From the PJA Dinner
A couple of things became apparent during the Progressive Jewish Alliance’s annual gala in Los Angeles last week, factors which will surely shape the run-up to the 2012 election. These factors did not include the “Yiddish songs of the labor movement,” which were performed entertainingly enough by singer Cindy Paley as guests shmoozed pre-dinner, but…
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Opinion Mofaz Calls Bibi Out on Ynet (Hebrew Only — Why Isn’t It Translated…?)
Shaul Mofaz, the chairman of the Knesset foreign affairs and defense committee, wrote an op-ed essay on the Ynet Hebrew website on Wednesday May 25, savagely summing up Netanyahu’s American visit. Strangely, it doesn’t appear on the English site. In fact, it’s not so strange—the English site’s opinion section carries mostly right-wing material (Obama vs….
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The Schmooze Rocker Gene Simmons Not a Fan of Obama’s Israel Policy
It appears that President Obama can cross “Rock and Roll All Night” off his list of potential 2012 campaign songs. The president’s recent speeches on Israel have made a critic of KISS rocker Gene Simmons, who implied on CNBC that Obama has “no [expletive] idea” about how to solve the Arab-Israeli impasse. “If you’ve never…
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Opinion Abe Gets Hate Mail, Bibi’s 3 Whoppers and an Optimistic (Yes!) Reading of the Situation
Barack and Bibi: An Optimistic Reading According to a very reliable source, Abraham Foxman got an e-mail the other day, lamenting the fact that Hitler didn’t get him, apparently because of the Anti-Defamation League’s statement praising President Obama’s Middle East speech. I didn’t call for confirmation because I didn’t want Abe to ask me not…
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News Bibi and Obama Now Set To Battle for Congress, Public Opinion
President Obama’s declaration affirming the significance of Israel’s 1967 borders in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations is animated in no small part by the need to face the challenge of a looming UN General Assembly vote recognizing Palestine as an independent state, the White House has told Jewish leaders. In an off-the-record conference call after Obama’s May…
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Opinion A Personal Meditation on Meeting Lewis Black and Having an Inexplicable Out-of-Body Experience
I participated in a group blog called Rethinking Religion at Columbia University’s Institute for Religion, Culture & Public Life. They asked me to go and hear comedian Lewis Black get interviewed by the institute’s director, Mark Taylor, and then write a reaction. The interview took place at the Kraft Center for Jewish Life, which has…
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Opinion More Lessons From the Arab Spring, or Follow the Bouncing Logic
Recently published analyses teach the following lessons: Lesson 1. The Arab uprisings are not necessarily democratic in nature, and liberal readiness to back them — morally or with arms and material aid — is at best foolhardy romanticism. We should stand back and avoid getting involved. Why undermine existing regimes when the replacement might be…
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The Schmooze When Valerie Jarrett Revealed Her Jewish Roots
The White House can add one more senior staffer to its list of advisers with Jewish roots, and it is an unlikely name. Valerie Jarrett, President Obama’s senior adviser and assistant for intergovernmental affairs and public engagement, disclosed her Jewish ancestry to a Jewish gathering on Monday. Speaking on behalf of the administration at the…
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Culture Hitler is trending on TikTok again — and they’re trying to make him seem like a nice guy
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Culture You can buy Sukkot gift boxes that say ‘tuchus’ on Amazon
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News Who are the Jews in Trump’s inner circle?
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Film & TV Netflix finally gave Jews our Hot Rabbi. Too bad every other Jew in the show sucks
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Opinion A missile strike, a terror attack, and a falafel guy who is ready to serve
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Fast Forward How US Jewish communities are marking anniversary of Oct. 7 attack: with heartache, and warily
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Fast Forward First debate question to Vance and Walz: Do you support a ‘preemptive’ Israeli strike on Iran?
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Fast Forward Meet Lev Kreitman, who brought down Tel Aviv shooter and survived Nova music festival on Oct. 7
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