As Anti-Semitism Rises, Can We Still Criticize Our Own?
Standing united against anti-Semitism does not mean we cannot speak out about our community’s problems.
What Makes The Hasidic Community Choose Tribe Over Offspring?
I, too, once believed in the moral righteousness of saving children from their own parents, to ensure they do not fall prey to the secular world.
New Square Rabbi Acquitted of Molesting Neighbor for Years
Moshe Menachem Taubenfeld, a prominent figure in the upstate New York Hasidic community of New Square, was acquitted by a judge of molesting a boy for several years.
Closing Arguments Made in New Square Hasidic Abuse Trial
Did a respected Hasidic educator shamelessly abuse a boy for five years — or is his accuser a liar? A judge will decide after both sides made their closing arguments in a riveting trial.
Did Hasidic Neighbor Start Sex Abuse Reign of Terror on September 11?
A man testified that he suffered years of child sexual abuse after visiting a respected member of his upstate New York Hasidic community for comfort on the day of the September 11 terror attacks.
How Shulem Deen Lost Everything and Found Himself
Losing one’s faith can be excruciatingly painful and lonely. Shulem Deen narrates his grim passage from faith to doubt in his riveting new memoir, ‘All Who Go Do Not Return.’
Under Cover: Taxonomy of The Yarmulke
An introduction and deep dive into the history of and variantions of the Yarmulke - the religious hat that Jews wear when worshiping.
Hasidic Enclave Keeps Its Secrets Amid Elusive Rebbe’s Tight Control
Grand Rabbi David Twersky enjoys near-divine status among his devotees. But some report being rebuffed when seeking help in sex abuse cases.
When the Mikveh Is an Ordeal of Faith
The peeping rabbi scandal reminds Frimet Goldberger of her own trips to the Satmar mikveh — and the relentless inspections of her body that came with them.
New Square to Neighbors: Stay Away from Our Holy Shtetl!
Frimet Goldberger pokes fun at the Hasidic village of New Square’s recent letter asking neighbors to refrain from buying property (and bringing impurities) too close.