Ben Harris
By Ben Harris
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Fast Forward These Jews want to normalize not circumcising — and they want synagogues to help
(JTA) — When Elana Johnson was shopping for a synagogue three years ago, the mother of four approached a Conservative congregation in Lincoln, Nebraska, to ask about joining. For most synagogues, such an inquiry would have been a no-brainer. But Johnson had elected not to circumcise her three sons, departing from one of Judaism’s most…
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News These are the Jewish victims of the Surfside building collapse
This article will be updated as more names are identified by authorities in Florida. (JTA) — The Champlain Towers South building collapse is a national tragedy, one that has claimed nearly 20 lives so far and left over 140 still missing in the rubble as of Thursday. Among other groups, it struck a unique nexus…
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News Stacey Zisook Robinson, 59, Poet Who Was Fulfilling A Lifelong Dream To Become A Rabbi
(JTA) — Every Friday afternoon, an email would show up in Sue Horowitz’s inbox with a pre-Shabbat greeting. Some weeks it would be just a few words of prayer or inspiration. Other times there would be a lengthier original poem. This went on for years. The sender was Stacey Zisook Robinson, a Jewish poet who…
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News Transgender Jews are finding a safe haven in an unexpected place: the farm
(JTA) — Alex Kohanski began using the gender-neutral they-them pronouns on their first day of the Jewish farming fellowship Adamah in the fall of 2019. Though they were assigned a male identity at birth, Kohanski had never felt fully at home in their body. As a child, they once looked at their naked body in…
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News Jason Stein, 46, Beloved Coach At South Florida High School
(JTA) — Jason Stein was the kind of guy who would drop anything to help a friend. A lifelong educator, Stein had worked with countless kids as a sports coach, physical education teacher and most recently as the athletic director at J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs, Florida. His wife, Michele, also an education…
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News Theodore Mann, 92, Former Chairman Of Presidents Conference And Early Critic Of Israeli Occupation
(JTA) — Theodore Mann, a Philadelphia lawyer who led several major Jewish organizations and was an early critic of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, died of the coronavirus. Mann died Dec. 12 in Philadelphia, the The Washington Post reported. A daughter told the paper that the cause was COVID-19. Mann was 92. Mann was…
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News Jonathan Sacks, former UK chief rabbi and Jewish ‘intellectual giant,’ dies at 72
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi of the United Kingdom whose extensive writings and frequent media appearances commanded a global following among Jews and non-Jews alike, has died. Sacks died Saturday morning at age 72, his Twitter account announced. He was in the midst of a third bout of cancer, which he had announced…
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Fast Forward Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says he is being treated for cancer
(JTA) — Former British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks announced he has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment. In a statement posted to his Twitter feed Thursday afternoon, Sacks’ office said he had been “recently diagnosed” with an unspecified cancer and hoped to return to work “as soon as possible.” “He remains positive and…
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Culture George Santos covered ‘Hallelujah’ — it’s been through worse
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News Sorry not sorry: Kyrie Irving deletes apology for sharing antisemitic movie
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Yiddish די פּאַפּירן פֿון חיים גראַדע און זײַן קאָנטראָווערסאַלער אַלמנה אינאַ העקער זענען סוף־כּל־סוף צוטריטלעך Papers of writer Chaim Grade and his controversial widow Inna Hecker finally accessible online
דער פֿאַרגעסענער העלד אין דער גאַנצער געשיכטע איז דער בראָנקסער אַדוואָקאַט וואָס האָט אײַנגעזען די ווערט פֿון די טויזנטער באַשטויבטע פּאַפּירן
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Fast Forward 2 Jewish community leaders missing in Antakya, Turkish city devastated by earthquakes
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Culture From Mel Brooks to Elaine May to Ethan Coen: Producer Julian Schlossberg writes memoir about working with Jewish stars over 6 decades
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