Moment’s Best of 2013

By | Dec 24, 2013
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In case you missed them, take a look back at some of Moment’s best—and most provocative—stories from the past year.

A House Divided

At apartheid’s end, the dorms of the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein were integrated. At first it went well, then students chose to resegregate. This Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative-winning story examines the continuing battle against racism in South Africa.

Is the Two State Solution Dead?

Are separate Israeli and Palestinian states still the answer? Moment speaks with peace negotiators, policy makers, activists and a former head of the Mossad. Noam Chomsky, Dani Dayan, Ruth Gavison, Efraim Halevy and others share their views.

The Spicy Tale of India’s Jewish Cuisine

Palak paneer, chana masala and the egregiously treif-sounding butter chicken may not scream “Jewish” and were highly unlikely to grace your grandmother’s holiday table. But Jews have a rich history in India and an even richer cuisine to match.

Anat Hoffman Dares to Take on Israel’s Orthodox Establishment. Can She Win?

A visionary to some, a troublemaker to others, Anat Hoffman is leading the charge for women to be allowed to read the Torah at the Western Wall. The executive director of the Israel Reform Action Committee and spokesperson for Women of the Wall has become the face of the fight for religious freedom in Israel.

Is Religion Good for Women?

The question—at once deeply Jewish, deeply human, and both ancient and modern—echoes across the religious spectrum. Moment talks to a range of women and men who have given it careful consideration.

Will the Real Abraham Please Stand Up?

Allan Nadler reviews Inheriting Abraham: The Legacy of the Patriarch in Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Jon D. Levenson.

From Pickles to Salmon, the Joys of Kosher-Style

No expression is more emblematic of the balancing act between Jewish tradition and American assimilation than “kosher-style.”

Why Abortion is a Religious Freedom Issue

Sarah Posner explains why the beliefs of “Judeo-Christian” pro-lifers—aka the American Christian Right—do not represent the Jewish theological position.

The Last Synagogue Standing

As the city of Detroit struggles with a shrinking population and confronts bankruptcy, a young crowd revitalizes the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue.

Michael Pollan: The High Priest of American Food

The poster boy of America’s “new food” movement talks to Moment about the role his Jewish upbringing plays in his approach to food, his disagreements with Leviticus and how cooking for yourself is the key to healthy eating and changing the world.

Why Can’t We Show Empathy for the Palestinians?

Letty Cottin Pogrebin says the American Jewish thought police are quick to label sympathy for Palestinians a betrayal of Israel.

Israel’s Unlikely Peacemaker

Martin Indyk reviews Menachem Begin: A Life by Avi Shilon.

Should Jews Be For or Against the Right to Bear Arms?

In the wake of mass shootings in Aurora, Colorado and Sandy Hook Elementary School—and Congress’ failure to pass gun control legislation—Moment asks its rabbis about the Second Amendment.

Heart to Heart with Elie Wiesel

The Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Moment co-founder talks about his recent open-heart surgery, facing death and his new book, Open Heart.

World Museums Rethink Islamic Art

Moment Opinion Editor Amy E. Schwartz explains how the next generation of exhibits is building bridges in ways you might not expect.

Venice, Harlem and Beyond

There are few words that so acutely symbolize discrimination as “ghetto,” a term coined in Venice in 1516 to refer to a segregated, enclosed area of a city where Jews were forced to live.

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