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“The Muppets’ philosophy of meeting the outrageous with the outrageous, the unhinged with the unhinged, and the grouchy with the grouchy has its lessons for us humans, too,” writes Talya Zax.
The Muppets are my rabbi, and they should be yours
A one-off "Muppet Show" special, guest-starring Sabrina Carpenter, contains deep spiritual lessons. A full reboot should follow.
forward.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:55 PM
“The Muppets’ philosophy of meeting the outrageous with the outrageous, the unhinged with the unhinged, and the grouchy with the grouchy has its lessons for us humans, too,” writes Talya Zax.
“I want you to open [the Torah] and read it and come up with a question and come up with an answer,” explained one rabbi concerned with using AI as a shortcut to religious enlightenment. “It’s not just end result. It’s the process.”
These rabbis are making an Orthodox case against AI. Will anyone listen?
The leadership of the Orthodox Jewish community is addressing the challenges of AI use and its perceived spiritual risks.
forward.com
February 2, 2026 at 8:29 PM
“I want you to open [the Torah] and read it and come up with a question and come up with an answer,” explained one rabbi concerned with using AI as a shortcut to religious enlightenment. “It’s not just end result. It’s the process.”
Our intrepid political reporter @jacobkornbluh.bsky.social, profiled this weekend by @nytimes.com.
This Hasidic Reporter Has a Few Questions for Mayor Mamdani
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:14 PM
Our intrepid political reporter @jacobkornbluh.bsky.social, profiled this weekend by @nytimes.com.
@alykatzz.bsky.social's first essay as @forward.com EIC: "It’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was and will be — that I arrive as your new editor-in-chief, at a moment like so many before when the Jewish world (and the world, period) urgently needs unflinching journalism."
As editor-in-chief, I'm finding my way Forward (and back)
As a longtime muckracker turning my lens to Jewish affairs at a time of political tumult, I’m mindful of the legacy set by Abraham Cahan.
forward.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:48 PM
@alykatzz.bsky.social's first essay as @forward.com EIC: "It’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was and will be — that I arrive as your new editor-in-chief, at a moment like so many before when the Jewish world (and the world, period) urgently needs unflinching journalism."
“Oliver! may be the most Jewish musical ever written that refuses to admit as much, and watching Simon Lipkin’s sly, buoyant portrayal of Fagin on London’s West End recently, I felt a jolt of something I hadn’t expected: Home.”
Could this be the most Jewish musical that never admits its own Jewishness?
A new West End production of 'Oliver!' featuring Simon Lipkin as Fagin brings back the sounds and rhythms of a Friday night dinner table.
forward.com
January 30, 2026 at 3:35 PM
“Oliver! may be the most Jewish musical ever written that refuses to admit as much, and watching Simon Lipkin’s sly, buoyant portrayal of Fagin on London’s West End recently, I felt a jolt of something I hadn’t expected: Home.”
Rabbi Levi Azimov, who leads Chabad of South Brunswick in New Jersey, said the suspect, who has not yet been identified by police, attended a Purim service at Chabad in March of last year. He visited there twice more, seeking spiritual guidance, Azimov told @forward.com.
Chabad attack suspect had previously sought ‘spiritual guidance’ from rabbi
The Chabad headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway was attacked by a 36-year-old who had previously visited Chabad in New Jersey.
forward.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Rabbi Levi Azimov, who leads Chabad of South Brunswick in New Jersey, said the suspect, who has not yet been identified by police, attended a Purim service at Chabad in March of last year. He visited there twice more, seeking spiritual guidance, Azimov told @forward.com.
Reposted by The Forward
For @forward.com, I wrote about Anne Frank, ICE, and what we risk in making - and in refusing to ever make - comparisons
forward.com/opinion/8009...
forward.com/opinion/8009...
What we talk about when we talk about Anne Frank hiding from ICE
Is it ok to invoke Anne Frank in discussing kids hiding from ICE? Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum disagree.
forward.com
January 27, 2026 at 11:12 PM
For @forward.com, I wrote about Anne Frank, ICE, and what we risk in making - and in refusing to ever make - comparisons
forward.com/opinion/8009...
forward.com/opinion/8009...
“Anybody who’s in this area will tell you that if he belonged to a Klan branch and did all that, then you got it, right? But if he played baseball? Went to St. Joe’s? I mean for all intents and purposes that’s an all-American boy.”
How an ‘all-American boy’ became a Mississippi synagogue arson suspect
There was little warning that Stephen Spencer Pittman, who police arrested for arson, was poised to strike Jackson’s lone synagogue.
forward.com
January 22, 2026 at 1:14 PM
“Anybody who’s in this area will tell you that if he belonged to a Klan branch and did all that, then you got it, right? But if he played baseball? Went to St. Joe’s? I mean for all intents and purposes that’s an all-American boy.”
Reposted by The Forward
For @forward.com, I wrote about Soros (surprise) and Orbán, Trump, antisemitism, xenophobia, Hungary, and us
forward.com/opinion/7986...
forward.com/opinion/7986...
There's a vicious antisemitic precedent for Trump's demonization of Renée Nicole Good
Trying to link Renée Good, who was killed by an ICE agent, to George Soros serves Trump's conspiratorial anti-immigrant rhetoric.
forward.com
January 19, 2026 at 8:47 PM
For @forward.com, I wrote about Soros (surprise) and Orbán, Trump, antisemitism, xenophobia, Hungary, and us
forward.com/opinion/7986...
forward.com/opinion/7986...
Reposted by The Forward
My latest for @forward.com is a bit of a change of pace, looking back at the history of A Bintel Brief, one of the oldest advice columns in the US, which is celebrating its 120th birthday today, and how the advice it dispensed to Eastern European Jewish immigrants in 1906 still resonates today.
How 'a bundle of letters' became a cornerstone of life advice for American Jews
Started by legendary editor Ab Cahan, The Forward's advice column, A Bintel Brief, celebrates its 120 anniversary.
forward.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:55 PM
My latest for @forward.com is a bit of a change of pace, looking back at the history of A Bintel Brief, one of the oldest advice columns in the US, which is celebrating its 120th birthday today, and how the advice it dispensed to Eastern European Jewish immigrants in 1906 still resonates today.
Reposted by The Forward
Thx to @forward.com PJ Grisar for citing @universityofkansas.bsky.social Jewish Studies chair Samantha Cooper, whose expertise is involvement of NY Jews in opera. forward.com/forward-news...
Emma Goldman, superstar? The Jewish anarchist has a surprising role to play in American musical theater
While she was a radical and critic of capitalism, Emma Goldman was in fact a devotee of the opera. Maybe that's why she fits into musicals.
forward.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Thx to @forward.com PJ Grisar for citing @universityofkansas.bsky.social Jewish Studies chair Samantha Cooper, whose expertise is involvement of NY Jews in opera. forward.com/forward-news...
Three days ago he reposted an animated video of a woman seeing a Jewish caricature holding moneybags and exclaiming, “A Jew in our backyard!” It was unclear whether he posted the video before or after the arson attack, which occurred Jan. 10 at around 3 a.m. local time.
Synagogue arson suspect posted antisemitic cartoon on day of the attack
Stephen Spencer Pittman has been charged with the arson attack on Jackson, Mississippi synagogue Beth Israel.
forward.com
January 13, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Three days ago he reposted an animated video of a woman seeing a Jewish caricature holding moneybags and exclaiming, “A Jew in our backyard!” It was unclear whether he posted the video before or after the arson attack, which occurred Jan. 10 at around 3 a.m. local time.
As smoke filled the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center one year ago, Cantor Ruth Berman Harris searched for her husband through the darkness, calling out to make sure the Torahs were being carried out.
By night’s end, the building was destroyed, but all 13 Torahs were safe. 🧵
By night’s end, the building was destroyed, but all 13 Torahs were safe. 🧵
January 7, 2026 at 2:15 PM
As smoke filled the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center one year ago, Cantor Ruth Berman Harris searched for her husband through the darkness, calling out to make sure the Torahs were being carried out.
By night’s end, the building was destroyed, but all 13 Torahs were safe. 🧵
By night’s end, the building was destroyed, but all 13 Torahs were safe. 🧵
For those of you who've seen Marty Supreme, how did audiences react during the honey scene? @forward.com editorial fellow Olivia Heynie explores the disconnect between Josh Safdie's intent and how many viewers have responded to it.
So, what’s the deal with the honey scene in ‘Marty Supreme?’
A harrowing story of survival in Auschwitz has been misinterpreted by some viewers, sparking online discourse.
forward.com
December 30, 2025 at 5:03 PM
For those of you who've seen Marty Supreme, how did audiences react during the honey scene? @forward.com editorial fellow Olivia Heynie explores the disconnect between Josh Safdie's intent and how many viewers have responded to it.
Reposted by The Forward
For my last piece of 2025, I wrote about reading Arnošt Lustig and hoping against hope for @forward.com
forward.com/opinion/7938...
forward.com/opinion/7938...
The Holocaust survivor writer who can help us through this ominous era
Arnošt Lustig, a Czech Jewish writer, survived the Holocaust and incorporated its horrors in his writing — but came out hopeful all the same.
forward.com
December 27, 2025 at 9:05 PM
For my last piece of 2025, I wrote about reading Arnošt Lustig and hoping against hope for @forward.com
forward.com/opinion/7938...
forward.com/opinion/7938...
There's nothing like archival ads from early 20th-century editions of Forverts to bring out the Yiddishe research nerd in all of us. But now we want to know what this musical pin looked like!
from @forward.com, June 1908--found while looking for info about other Musical stuff.
what's a musical pin? 🤔
what's a musical pin? 🤔
December 19, 2025 at 2:26 PM
There's nothing like archival ads from early 20th-century editions of Forverts to bring out the Yiddishe research nerd in all of us. But now we want to know what this musical pin looked like!
As Commissioner Chadwick was wrapping up the commission meeting, he wished the group a Merry Christmas, and Commissioner Waldrop whispered, “We haven’t said ‘Happy Hanukkah.'”
“No, we don’t say that,” Chadwick replied, as Waldrop’s mouth fell agape.
“No, we don’t say that,” Chadwick replied, as Waldrop’s mouth fell agape.
This politician refused to say ‘Happy Hanukkah,’ then blamed ‘political correctness’ for the backlash
Chris Chadwick, chairman of the Carteret County Board of Commissioners, said he will defend his right to say "Merry Christmas."
forward.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:41 PM
As Commissioner Chadwick was wrapping up the commission meeting, he wished the group a Merry Christmas, and Commissioner Waldrop whispered, “We haven’t said ‘Happy Hanukkah.'”
“No, we don’t say that,” Chadwick replied, as Waldrop’s mouth fell agape.
“No, we don’t say that,” Chadwick replied, as Waldrop’s mouth fell agape.
"Despite his clear love of the Jewish Shabbat, he cannot help but reject it because it’s not Christian. And this is key to his argument: At its roots, Kirk’s praise of Shabbat is more concerned with convincing his readers to embrace Christianity than it is with learning from Judaism."
In making a Christian case for Shabbat, Charlie Kirk stripped off its Judaism
'Stop, in the Name of God,' Charlie Kirk's final book, is careful to make sure that Shabbat doesn't sound too Jewish.
forward.com
December 17, 2025 at 2:20 PM
"Despite his clear love of the Jewish Shabbat, he cannot help but reject it because it’s not Christian. And this is key to his argument: At its roots, Kirk’s praise of Shabbat is more concerned with convincing his readers to embrace Christianity than it is with learning from Judaism."
Reposted by The Forward
“I understand that the gentiles who are lighting their own menorahs as a show of solidarity mean well but that’s not for y’all to be doing. Judaism is a closed practice,” one user posted. “Get the circumcision first, then we’ll talk.”
Christians are displaying menorahs in their windows post-Bondi Beach attack. Why some Jews object
Non-Jews are placing menorahs in their windows as a show of support for their Jewish neighbors. But is it solidarity or appropriation?
forward.com
December 17, 2025 at 1:43 PM
“I understand that the gentiles who are lighting their own menorahs as a show of solidarity mean well but that’s not for y’all to be doing. Judaism is a closed practice,” one user posted. “Get the circumcision first, then we’ll talk.”
Reposted by The Forward
I wrote a thing for @forward.com about reconnecting with family that I had presumed did not exist because of the Holocaust, and how a Bondi Beach veteran's pub became a place of reunion for us.
Australia welcomed my family’s Holocaust survivors — and Bondi Beach soon became a symbol of renewal for me
The Australian Jewish population nearly tripled in size from 1938 to 1961, with Holocaust survivors like my family moving there.
forward.com
December 15, 2025 at 10:54 PM
I wrote a thing for @forward.com about reconnecting with family that I had presumed did not exist because of the Holocaust, and how a Bondi Beach veteran's pub became a place of reunion for us.
Please welcome @forward.com's incoming editor-in-chief, @alykatzz.bsky.social!
Alyssa Katz Named Next Editor-in-Chief of the Forward
Alyssa Katz has been named Editor-in-Chief of the Forward, the nation’s most influential and widely-read Jewish publication. The appointment was announced today by Forward Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishm...
forward.com
December 15, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Please welcome @forward.com's incoming editor-in-chief, @alykatzz.bsky.social!
“When Jews are attacked for being Jews, and the response is muted, conditional, or delayed, the message is unmistakable. Jews may still live here, but only quietly.... We cannot and will not retreat into hiding our light. The call of this moment is simple and urgent: Light candles everywhere.”
The call of this Hanukkah moment remains simple and urgent: Light candles everywhere. Even when we're under attack.
Even after the attack at Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead in Sydney, Australia, we light Hanukkah candles to publicize the miracle.
forward.com
December 14, 2025 at 10:41 PM
“When Jews are attacked for being Jews, and the response is muted, conditional, or delayed, the message is unmistakable. Jews may still live here, but only quietly.... We cannot and will not retreat into hiding our light. The call of this moment is simple and urgent: Light candles everywhere.”
“We have repeatedly reached out to our government, telling them that we do not feel safe. And yet, it has often felt as though these concerns are met with procedural gestures... Australian Jews do not feel that the government is taking its approach to antisemitism as seriously as it should.”
I grew up believing Australia was the best place to be Jewish. This Hanukkah shooting forces a reckoning I do not want.
I grew up believing that Australia was one of the best places on earth to be Jewish. This country always felt like a gift: Extraordinary beaches, glorious wildlife, and a cultural temperament that val...
forward.com
December 14, 2025 at 3:09 PM
“We have repeatedly reached out to our government, telling them that we do not feel safe. And yet, it has often felt as though these concerns are met with procedural gestures... Australian Jews do not feel that the government is taking its approach to antisemitism as seriously as it should.”
“The left often prioritizes spotlighting the urgent needs of Palestinians—rightly, and with good reason…But the de-escalation that has accompanied the current ceasefire has opened an opportunity for the Jewish left to reflect and redefine its strategy. What future, exactly, are they fighting for?"
The Jewish left is misplaying its hand — by not focusing enough on Jews
Jews who support Palestinians are often treated as less Jewish in Israel. It's time for the Jewish left to take that issue seriously.
forward.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:02 PM
“The left often prioritizes spotlighting the urgent needs of Palestinians—rightly, and with good reason…But the de-escalation that has accompanied the current ceasefire has opened an opportunity for the Jewish left to reflect and redefine its strategy. What future, exactly, are they fighting for?"
Reposted by The Forward
@forward.com spoke with Marty Supreme's production designer on why they decided to feature the delivery truck in the film.
How the Forward got a cameo in ‘Marty Supreme’
Production designer Jack Fisk speaks about the joys, and challenges, of recreating 1950s New York — and beyond.
forward.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:45 PM
@forward.com spoke with Marty Supreme's production designer on why they decided to feature the delivery truck in the film.