| Friend, Never has Rosh Hashanah felt more real to me. New year, new chapter: On Sept. 9, I became Editor-in-Chief of the Forward, which itself is entering a new era as a digital-only publication.
I decided to join the Forward, after more than two decades at The New York Times, because of its storied history and staunch values, and because we are experiencing an urgent moment in both Judaism
and journalism.
I am coming to this challenge brimming with ideas, yet humbled
by history. I aim to bring you, our readers, into the conversation more regularly and deeply. I welcome your input about how best to do this (and on anything else!): rudoren@forward.com. Every Rosh Hashanah, I remember a profound ritual Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, now of Park Avenue Synagogue, introduced at Congregation Anshe Emet in Chicago. He invited everyone to personalize the “Al Chayt” prayer, which delineates various sins, by writing our own missteps on slips of paper.
This year, I am thinking, “For the sin I committed by observing instead of acting.” I am a journalist, which means I am, fundamentally, an observer. But this moment in journalism and Judaism demands action. My joining the Forward is about acting to ensure critical stories are told fully and fairly; to create space for dynamic and respectful debate; to engage many more readers in our essential conversations.
I hope you, too, will act to support the Forward this season. Support us now as we hold power to account and explain an increasingly complicated world. Support us as we connect people to their Judaism, and to other Jews. Support us as we celebrate the varied and abundant bounty of Yiddishkeit.
Thanks in advance for your generosity. | 