(Jewish Group) 21 Jewish moments of 2021

Time can be a funny thing. “The distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion,” Albert Einstein once said. That seems like a pretty good description of the year that was.

The past twelve months have, at times, felt like so much more. America and Israel both got new leaders and a vaccine rollout offered hope and promise of a post-pandemic life. An Olympics came and went, and another is already on the horizon. There were riots and lockdowns and trips to outer space. Britney Spears finally got her freedom.

Here at the Forward, our newsroom welcomed new staffers to help cover what would become a very momentous year in Jewish news. As we prepare for all that’s to come in the year ahead, we pause to reflect on the time gone by…

Jan. 6, 2021 / The Capitol riots

Antisemitism was wrapped up in the conspiracies of a stolen election that fueled the violent riot inside the U.S. Capitol. While organizations like the Anti-Defamation League closely tracked the bigotry of protesters, the best evidence for it was offered by the man pictured wearing a “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt as he meandered through the Capitol building. Robert Keith Packer, the man in question, was arrested by federal law enforcement days after the riot and charged with two misdemeanors.

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