Dear Reader,
Less than five minutes into the now-infamous interview with Kanye West, I knew the mainstream narrative had missed something big.
For years, the rapper-cum-fashion mogul had engaged in casual antisemitism online. But this interview was different: for nearly three hours, a famous artist calmly blamed every problem in his life on the Jewish people.
It wasn't the first time this year Jews were thrust into the spotlight by someone wishing us harm, and it wasn’t the last hateful diatribe from Kanye, either. But it was the first time that I sat down and listened, really listened, so that our readers could understand the nuances of this hate without having to suffer through it.
No one else was reporting the full story, but the Forward was. Helping our readers better understand the threats Jews face is a role I take seriously, and one of the most meaningful parts of my work. Thankfully, we were able to do so through our coverage of this controversy.
Antisemitism matters to American Jews, and no one covers it as thoroughly as we do. Donate to the Forward to power the nuance and context we provide to our readers, no matter how complicated or hard to hear. Your support makes it possible.
