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Opinion News Leading the CultureCulture Conversation 2015 Yiddish Annual Report Dear Friends, ThankThank You REPORTERS’ CIRCLE: There’s no question that 2015 was a year of dramatic, often turbulent events for American Jews. TheThe Forward Forward Association Association gratefully gratefully acknowledges acknowledges Terror attacks in Paris, San Bernardino and Jerusalem. A battle royale in Washington over the thethe individuals individuals and and organizations organizations listed listed below below and and nuclear agreement with Iran. Elections in Israel. The Syrian refugee crisis. And the beginnings of a U.S. presidential campaign that has upended conventional political wisdom at every turn. laterlater in inthis this report, report, whose whose gifts gifts made made between between JanuaryJanuary 1 and 1 and December December 31, 31, 2015, 2015, helped helped sustain sustain In our 119th year, the Forward covered every one of these events and many more, with our characteristically fearless reporting, meticulous editing, and fresh, deeply informed analysis not thethe Forward Forward as as a vibrant, a vibrant, independent independent Jewish Jewish found anywhere else in the Jewish world. mediamedia organization organization for for readers readers today today and and for for But we did more than just cover these stories. We made history by sending a senior writer directly futurefuture generations. generations. to Iran—the first time a journalist from a Jewish media outlet was able to report from inside SUPPORTERS: that country since its 1979 Islamic revolution. Here at home, we weren’t satisfied with the official PRESIDENT’SPRESIDENT’S CIRCLE: CIRCLE: EDITORS’ CIRCLE: answers we were getting. So our editor-in-chief sat down with President Obama in the Oval NEWSROOM Office to ask him some tough questions on a range of critical issues—and got answers that SOCIETY GOLD: helped shape the conversation. PUBLISHER’SPUBLISHER’S CIRCLE CIRCLE GOLD: GOLD: Beyond the news, we also took time to appreciate the things that delight our senses, elevate our spirits, and bring meaning to our lives: the arts, cuisine, books, spirituality, and humor. The Forward’s exploration of our Jewish culture, in all its rich variety, has never been more PUBLISHER’SPUBLISHER’S CIRCLE: CIRCLE: important, more surprising—or more fun. SAMUEL NORICH JACOB MOROWITZ COLUMNISTS’ CIRCLE: NEWSROOM SOCIETY: Publisher and CEO Chair of the Board Even as we moved the conversation forward, we haven’t forgotten our roots. The mameloshn is alive and well in the pages of the Yiddish Forverts, with topical coverage of ideas and trends, articles about history and culture, and news of Yiddish life around the world. Of course, none of this would have been possible without your support. We are grateful for the generosity of our many donors throughout the community. Year in and year out, you’re here for us, and you demonstrate that the Forward is an indispensable source of information, connection ASSOCIATES: and inspiration for American Jews. Zayt gezunt. 1 REPORTERS’ CIRCLE: Michael Felsen Leo Baeck Institute Peter and Marci Pepper $5,000 - $9,999 Louise Fishman Solon and Margery Beinfeld Nathaniel Reichek Thank You Anonymous (3) Tom and Leslie Freudenheim Phyllis Bieri and Marco Veissid Elaine Reuben Jean Bennett Isaac Gilinski Madelon and Philip Braun Robin Family Fund Edward Blank The Horah Group Jonathan Cedarbaum and Ruby Family Foundation Ernest and Rita Bogen Rabbi Samuel Gordon Alice Winkler Stephen Shepard The Forward Association gratefully acknowledges Jane Eisner and Mark Berger and Patti Gerstenblith The Hon. Miriam Cedarbaum, z”l Henry Silver Ellen Berland Gibbs The Gee Fund The Hon. Avern Cohn Stanley Silverstein and Lois Cohn the individuals and organizations listed below and Jeffrey and Paula Gural Green Family Fund Marian Scheuer Sofaer Helen Engelhardt Jim and Teresa Hofheimer Irwin and Joan Hochberg Sperber and Steinfeld Families’ Yudie and Jane Fishman later in this report, whose gifts made between Ruth E. Horowitz Jan Lisa Huttner Charitable Trust Solomon J. and Edith K. Freedman F. Jackson Fund Joanne Jahr Susan A. Stangler Charitable Foundation Inc. January 1 and December 31, 2015, helped sustain Emile Karafiol and Rabbi Randy Kafka Dr. Rena Steinfeld Philip Garoon and Family Virginia Robinson Henry Kimelman Martin Taller Warren Goldfarb the Forward as a vibrant, independent Jewish Jon Lukomnik and Family Foundation Kenneth and Deborah Tuchman Dr. Lynn Davidson Murray and Ellen Koppelman Sally Gottesman and Weinreb-Berenda-Carter Rachel Tiven media organization for readers today and for Irene Pletka David S. Kreisman Foundation, Inc. Daniel Greenspun Les and Harriet Rosenthal Dr. Richard Krieg Yiddish of Greater Washington, Inc. Scott Hite M.D. and future generations. C & J Smukler Kadimah Ann and Jeffry Mallow Ronnie and Elliot Zolin Foundation Benjamin and Vladka Marsie Hass M.D. Meed Philanthropic Fund Stephen and Luisa Hornstein PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE: EDITORS’ CIRCLE: Deborah Ugoretz and SUPPORTERS: Rabbi Yocheved Mintz Family Fund #2 of the Greater $100,000 or more $25,000 - $49,999 Samuel Norich $250 - $499 Clark Nobil Cincinnati Foundation Caryl B. Ratner Anonymous (9) The Crown Family Nussbaum Kuhn Foundation Erica Jong and Ken Burrows NEWSROOM David and Joyce Ackerman Klaff Family Foundation William and Jean Rosen Mark Juster SOCIETY GOLD: Robert Agus PUBLISHER’S CIRCLE GOLD: The Malka Fund of the Jewish Communal Fund Ritta G. Rosenberg Hedda Kafka $2,500 - $4,999 Nicholas Allen $75,000 - $99,999 Mark and Audrey Mlotek Irwin Rosenthal and Melvin and Annie Kahn Kathryn Bloom Nancy Aries and Elliott Sclar Atran Foundation Kathleen Peratis Doris Goldberg Kaplan Family Foundation Judith Mazo Martin Auerbach Jacob and Suzanne Morowitz Sigmund Rolat Kenneth and Wendy Ruby Robert and Marcia Kaplan 1 Joanna Migdal George Bean Natalie Wexler and James Feldman Taube Foundation for Jewish Life and Culture Caroline Rupert The Sharon Karmazin 2 Mark Whitaker and Alexis Gelber Barbara Bedford Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Salzman Family Fund Donor Advised Fund Judith Kass Louis Benjamin PUBLISHER’S CIRCLE: Michael Sarid and Alan Schwartz Kenneth and Laura Berk COLUMNISTS’ CIRCLE: NEWSROOM SOCIETY: Debra Shore Regina and Jeffrey Kessler $50,000 - $74,999 Joseph and Roslyn Block $1,000 - $2,499 Martin and Karen Shore Louise and David Kestenbaum Paul and Joanne Egerman Family $10,000 - $24,999 Ruthie and Robi Blumenstein Nicole Alger The Slovin Foundation Daniel A. Kohl Charitable Foundation Stanley and Marion Bergman Family Admiral M. B. Bordman Nedda Allbray Herbert Kornblit Ruth and David Levine Charitable Fund Charitable Fund Robert Spiegel Fund Victor and Sarah Kovner Marcia Bordman Alisa and Daniel Doctoroff Bruce and Carolyn Anders Susan Ulick Family Fund Herb and Deborah Krasnow Martin and Shirley Bresler Marc Galler Research Foundation Scott and Andrea Bernstein Marshall Weinberg Lempert Family Foundation Sally Brown Lucius N. Littauer Foundation Fay Bialowas Philanthropic Fund Michael Lorge Duane and Ellen Buck Neubauer Family Foundation Jeff D. Blum and Ellen D. Cassedy Bracha and Martin Werber Marcia Louchheim Adele and Rick Burke David and Susan Sherman Philanthropic Fund The Nancy and Kenneth Dr. Barnett Zumoff Susan Milamed Steve and Lynn Chaiken 1 Annual payment of $50,000 grant Alan and Carol Silberstein Family Bob Charitable Fund Lenore and Louis (z”l) Miller Jennifer Elowitch and 2 Annual payment of $50,000 grant Charitable Fund 3 Charles Borrok ASSOCIATES: Minsky-Primus Family Fund Douglas Chene 3 Annual payment of $30,000 pledge Harvey and Barbara Sigelbaum Bernard and Reva Broder $500 - $999 Deborah D. Moore Congregation Shomrei Torah, Fund for Yiddish Culture Anonymous (5) Olender Foundation Santa Rosa, CA Gilda Bruckman Liora Alschuler David and Stephanie Osser Bryan Daves The Davis/Ohlhausen Fund Robert Arnow Elliott and Donna Palevsky Kenneth Feinberg Howard Aronson CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 Unique Visitors to Forward.com up +583% 2015 compared to 2009 2015 9,949,441 page views 2009 1,456,323 page views Oval Office Interview with President Obama JANE EISNER A Jewish Journalist’s Exclusive Look Welcome to Haifa, the Israeli City Inside Iran that Refuses to Hate LARRY COHLER-ESSES NAOMI ZEVELOFF 3 News The Jewish IN THE MIDST of last summer’s debate surrounding the Iran Senior Homes that nuclear agreement, the Forward made a bold move: we sent Aren’t (Anymore) our intrepid news editor Larry Cohler-Esses on a reporting NATHAN GUTTMAN mission to Iran. His accounts of Iranian attitudes—from those of religious and political leaders to those of average citizens— toward America, Israel, and the Jewish people were nothing short of astounding. Just a few weeks later, the Forward’s editor-in-chief, Jane Eisner, was invited to the White House for an exclusive interview with President Obama. Jane asked the Presi- dent a series of penetrating questions about the Iran deal, the U.S.-Israel relationship, and his relationship with the American Jewish community, and got answers that were thoughtful, deeply considered, and, to a degree, surprising. We also covered the frightening rise in violent attacks by Palestinians against Israeli Jews that began in 2015, sparked by false rumors of an Israeli takeover of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In the midst of that violence, we published a story by our Middle East correspondent, Naomi Zeveloff, about Jewish-Arab co-existence in Haifa, “the city that refuses to hate,” that was both inspired and inspiring. We found further inspiration in staff writer Paul Berger’s story about an Orthodox charity that saves lives by promoting kidney donations—and an African American Can an Orthodox church leader considering whether to adopt a similar model for his community. And Charity Help our hearts went out to the older adults described in staff writer Nathan Guttman’s Save Lives in piece about the decline of a once-thriving group of B’nai Brith Jewish senior homes. This Man’s Church? PAUL BERGER • Donors to the Forward 4 Culture 2009 2015 14 3,164 AT THE FORWARD, our coverage of Jewish culture isn’t incidental—it’s an essential aspect of our DNA.