Lauren Davidson
By Lauren Davidson
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Culture A Peach of a Synagogue
If you were asked to guess the top tourist destination in each state, you might go with the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, the “Bean” monument in Chicago, or Central Park in New York City. Your local synagogue might not immediately spring to mind. Unless you live in Savannah, Georgia, that is. The reform congregation…
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Culture Life Is a Chai-Way for Jewish Biker Clubs
When Gil Paul took up the motorbike around 10 years ago, he did a half-hearted Internet search for other Jewish motorcyclists. “I just didn’t imagine that there were Jews that rode,” he said. “As luck would have it, I found the Hillel’s Angels.” Call it luck — mazel, perhaps — but it turns out that…
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Culture Why You Shouldn’t Call Mel Bochner a Lox Jock
From King Solomon to Ludwig Wittgenstein — with the notable exception of Moses — Jews have always been people of words. It seems appropriate, therefore, that the artist Mel Bochner’s new exhibition at the Jewish Museum, a retrospective of decades’ worth of his work and his first major museum show in New York City, is…
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News Observant Women Make Tzitzit — and Stir Controversy
Since biblical times, male authorities have been debating the issue of whether women should sport tzitzit. Now, thanks to a freshman from Princeton University, a group of young women are — quite literally — taking this fiddly law into their own hands. Maya Rosen, 19, has been wearing tzitzit for three years, making her own…
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Books In Search of a More Perfect Union
A rabbi and an imam walk into a bookstore. That may sound like the first line of a joke, but these aren’t any old rabbi and imam, and they’re not joking around. Rabbi Marc Schneier, the prominent Hampton Synagogue founder and Imam Shamsi Ali, former leader of the Islamic Cultural Center, a major Manhattan mosque,…
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Culture ‘Divergent’ Is a Cautionary Tale for Jews
A few years ago, I wrote about how a little film called “Twilight” was the quintessential Jewish story: inappropriate boyfriends, unusual dietary habits and an outrageously lavish wedding. I’d now like to remove my tongue from my cheek and draw your attention to a more serious lesson the Jewish community can take from young adult…
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The Schmooze 6 Jewish Things on the Oscars Red Carpet
There’s only one day on the Jewish calendar more important than Rosh Hashanah for looking your spanking best. And our favorite Hollywood Hebrews were out in full force at the Academy Awards. Here’s six Jewish things about the Oscars red carpet. Let’s get the bad ones out of the way first. Bette Midler’s choice of…
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Holy Ground A Jewish farmer broke ground on a synagogue in an Illinois cornfield. His neighbors showed up to help.
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Opinion I discovered anti-Zionism at the University of Michigan. I’m glad it lives on there
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Opinion An alarming new battleground in campus fights over Israel
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News Middlebury College Hillel votes to rebrand, distancing from parent group on Israel
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News Alex Soros commits $30 million to organizations fighting antisemitism — and its weaponization
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Fast Forward Israeli singer says he is tuning out ‘stop the genocide’ chants as he heads into Eurovision final
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Fast Forward Kristof column alleging Israeli abuse of Palestinian prisoners sparks outrage, scrutiny and debate among Jews
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Fast Forward From Rutgers speaker to Kristof column, disputed dog rape claim against Israel goes mainstream