Initially established to address the needs of Yiddish-speaking immigrants in the United States, The Forward played a significant role in Jewish immigrant communities by providing news, analysis, and a forum for political and social discussions. Over time, the newspaper evolved to cover a broader range of Jewish and general news in English. The Forward covers a wide variety of subjects, including politics, Jewish communal affairs, arts and culture, religion, and social issues.
Launched in June 2013, Mosaic Magazine is a platform that addresses Jewish issues and ideas in a lively, serious, and committed manner. It features a prominent monthly essay discussing pressing topics related to Jews, Judaism, or the Jewish state. Accompanying each essay are responses from experts and the author's counter-response at the end of the month. Additionally, Mosaic offers shorter opinion pieces, reflections on current events, historical insights, and a daily "Editors' Picks" section summarizing urgent web content.
Mosaic emerged to tackle challenges to Jewish identity, persistence, and purpose, both in the face of physical threats and other complexities. It aims to provide a space for analysis, judgment, and intellectual stimulation on politics, society, culture, religion, and the arts. The name "Mosaic" symbolizes enduring Jewish allegiances, the integration of diverse elements into a harmonious whole, and the interplay between Jewish creativity and other cultural achievements. This name is also a homage to a similarly purposed journal founded by Harvard College students in the 1960s.