What Ten American Jews Learned About the United States Over the Past Year
A few of our JPVP voters share their reflections on the state of America today.
Jews and Presidential Elections with Historians Jonathan Sarna and Lauren Strauss
Presidential candidates have wooed Jewish voters as far back as Abraham Lincoln. Why did candidates seek out the Jewish vote and how did they do it? How has the landscape of Jewish voters changed in modern times?
Jonathan D. Sarna, Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University and Chief Historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History and Lauren B. Strauss, Scholar in Residence in the Jewish Studies Program at American University and Senior Historical Consultant for the forthcoming Capital Jewish Museum, in conversation with Moment’s opinion and book editor Amy E. Schwartz.
Could Jews Vote in Early America?
Before 1776, each American colony had its own, uniquely phrased law about voter qualifications. Typically, white men over the age of 21 who owned 50 acres of land might vote, but the details varied by colony and were often a bit murky.
American Jews Largely Support a Liberal Replacement for RBG
Just as the remarkable life she lived, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, sparked a mix of awe, appreciation and political controversy. And the coming days will provide much of the same: a celebration of the life of a trailblazing legal giant who served for many as the nation’s moral compass, and at the same time, a fierce partisan battle over the appropriate timing of choosing Bader Ginsburg’s successor.
Ask the Rabbis | Should Jews Support Reparations for African Americans?
Our team of rabbis weighs in.
Israel Doesn’t Care What American Jews Think of Annexation
“For all the tightrope walking, the carefully formulated nuanced comments, and the impossible straddling between wishing to allow Israel to make its own decisions while providing cautionary input from abroad, American Jews and their views don’t really move the needle in Netanyahu and Gantz’s decision-making process.”
Why Were Jews Blamed for the Black Death?
With an uptick of anti-Semitism worldwide coinciding with the Coronavirus pandemic, it is all too easy to wonder if a comparable attack on Jews is brewing. And stories of insults of Asian-Americans on public streets are an unsettling reminder of what a hateful response to a public health crisis might yield. Jews, who in recent decades have mostly stood against bigotry, may again have to reacquaint themselves with this tragic chapter in their history.
Lou Weiss (PA): ‘Overall, America Loves Jews’
“Some people say they love Jews, but they don’t like Israel. But if a person is anti-Israel in the sense of being against the Jewish state and they support BDS they are anti-Semitic 100 percent. BDS is absolutely like what the Nazis did in Germany in terms of discriminating against Jewish businesses.”
Are Non-Jewish Actors Playing Jews In Movies A Good Idea?
If we were to ask Sarah Silverman, she would call it straight up cringey and embarrassing. The actress-comedian who considers
Debate | Should Jews Support Leaders Who Lie? | No
The simple answer would be no. It depends partly on how you define lies.
Debate | Should Jews Support Leaders Who Lie? | Yes
Yitzhak Shamir once said that for the safety and security of the State of Israel, one can lie.