| Dear Friend, These are frightening, historic times. The news is devastating -- and we are all living it as much as reading or writing it. As we enter the summer of 2020, cities are convulsed, camps are closed, and our communities are mourning the loss of both lives and liberty.
The Forward is, as always, struggling to make sense of what this means for the Jewish future. Just yesterday we published this powerful article about how the protests are forcing Jews to reexamine historic police ties. Earlier, I wrote about this moment calling for radical empathy -- as if we ourselves were George Floyd.
Throughout the pandemic, our team has been operating at a new height of creativity and collaboration. Working from home -- homes in Denver, Florida, Venice, Calif., and Connecticut as well as deep Brooklyn and my own Montclair, N.J. -- we are breaking news, stimulating ideas, provoking debate and building community. There is “After Corona,” a collection of essays by Jewish thought leaders on how our institutions and lives will change, with stunning illustrations by Yehuda Blum. Since mid-March, Ari Feldman has followed the story of Vladimir Zelenko, the Hasidic doctor who has become the prime -- and controversial -- proponent of the drug hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid. And Talya Zax's rich, insightful narrative, “Philip Roth doesn’t live here anymore,” built on months of reporting. These projects are the fruit of focused, smart work and deep expertise. That’s what you support by subscribing to The Forward. We are an independent, reader-supported nonprofit whose ideology is inquiry. Your subscription helps us continue to cover the news that matters to American Jews -- and to create new programs like our “Yiddish Word of the Day” video series and public “Zoomversations” on topics you care about. I hope you’ll join our Forward family -- and please let me know what you think of what we’re doing: [email protected].
Jodi Rudoren
Editor in Chief
The Forward | 