Shabbat Gathering: The Forward continues forward.

Dear Chevra, as is our custom, we will gather tonight at 5.45p ct to welcome Shabbat. These are the coordinates:

Zoom
Meeting ID: 963 5113 1550
Password: 1989
Phone: +1 312 626 6799

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Here we go.

The Forward is the premier Jewish periodical in the United States. During its 126 years of publication, the Forward has flexed from a daily Yiddish-language socialist newspaper into today’s online-only, progressive website. I read it every day and highly recommend it. Here’s why.

First, the origin story.

In 1897, a group of fifty Yiddish-speaking socialists came together to start a newspaper in New York City advancing the cause of Jewish trade unions. The politics of the Forward have most always been at least progressive. Among other political writers, the Forward published during this era was Leon Trotsky, a key figure in the Communist revolution in Russia.

How the Forward has moved forward.

Since it’s founding, the Forward has gone through many changes. It has been a daily and a weekly Yiddish paper, magazine, weekly English language paper, radio station, and now it’s an online-only publication in English and Yiddish with offshoots into email newsletters, podcasts, YouTube videos, and events.

It wasn’t all politics.

Perhaps the most famous writer published in the Forward was Isaac Bashevis Singer, the Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1978. Many other Yiddish writers of note have been published by the Forward.

The Bintel Brief.

Perhaps the most famous feature of the Forward in its history is The Bintel Brief. The vast majority of the Forward’s readers were immigrants trying to navigate their way through the new world. To help its audience, the Forward started an advice column called The Bintel Brief in the early 20th Century to help. Before there was a “Dear Abby,” there was The Bintel Brief. Anonymous letters were printed in the column ranging on a variety of topics spanning affairs of the pocketbook to affairs of the heart. It was far and away the most popular feature of the newspaper until 1970 and many of its columns have been collected into several books. Recently, the column has been revived and includes a podcast.

Today, the Forward covers the arts, culture, politics, news, investigative journalism, religion, storytelling, and opinion. For me, the Forward is an entrée on my media diet.

And may it be for all of us a blessing.

See you tonight!
Gut Shabbes!

All my love,
brian.

PS

Regarding Shiva. This is a wonderful story about how someone processes shiva.