Josefin Dolsten is a New York-based writer who has reported for the Forward, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Times of Israel and other Jewish publications. She currently works as an account director at Fenton Communications, supporting organizations that work to advance racial justice, LGBTQ+ equality, reproductive rights and more. Dolsten earned her B.A. in government from Cornell University and her M.A. in comparative religion and Jewish studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
(JTA) — President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy upon his retirement at the end of July. A a federal appeals court judge in Washington, Kavanaugh, 53, is well respected by the Republican establishment, although some on the right have said he is not conservative enough. Kavanaugh is a…
Jewish tourists from North America are likely to notice one big difference when visiting synagogues around the world. Though a plethora of symbols, such as stars of David and menorahs, may be displayed, national flags are rare inside the sanctuary. Meanwhile, in the United States and Canada, an American or Canadian flag (and sometimes both)…
(JTA) — Growing up in Uganda, Shoshanna Nambi was active in her small Jewish community. She taught songs and the Torah portion to younger children and was a member of her community’s youth group. Learning Hebrew also seemed to come easily. So it seemed obvious to her that she would consider becoming a rabbi. But…
(JTA) — Prince William will soon embark on a historic visit to Israel. During the trip, which also includes stops in Jordan and the West Bank, Britain’s Duke of Cambridge will visit important sites in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin. William is set to…
(JTA) — Growing up in the Orthodox community of Monsey, New York, as the son of an African-American mother who converted to Judaism and a white Ashkenazi father who became religious later in life, Isaiah Rothstein knows what it’s like not to fit in. The New York hamlet is known for its large Hasidic Jewish…
(JTA) — A Jewish community mikvah near Boston says its supporters are rallying around it after the mikvah announced that a former staffer misused funds and engaged in other financial improprieties. In an email sent May 18 to supporters of the Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh, officials of the mikvah said the estimated financial loss…
NEW YORK (JTA) — The head of the Conservative movement’s rabbinical organization sharply criticized Israel for reportedly deciding not to recognize Uganda’s Jewish community, whose members converted under Conservative auspices. Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, who leads the Rabbinical Assembly, said the Conservative movement was “shocked and extremely outraged” at the decision, which she called “unlawful.” “This…
NEW YORK (JTA) — Emily Schorr Lesnick and Jamila Humphries always knew that Judaism would play a part in the life they wanted to build together. But experiences with Conservative Jewish institutions had made the couple feel less than welcome. Schorr Lesnick, 28, remembers encountering homophobia at her Jewish Conservative summer camp. Humphries, 29, who…
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