Sam Kestenbaum is a contributing editor and former staff writer for the Forward. Before this, he worked for The New York Times and newsrooms in Sana, Ramallah and Beijing. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum and on Instagram at @skestenbaum.
Sam Kestenbaum
By Sam Kestenbaum
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News You Can’t Drive On Shabbat. But Can A Self-Driving Car Drive You?
When Michael Hassen, a Manhattan lawyer and father of two, was looking for a new apartment and neighborhood to move to, there was one very important requirement: He needed to be within walking distance from a synagogue. Hassen, like many other Jews, takes his Shabbat observance seriously. He doesn’t cook food or turn on his…
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Fast Forward White Supremacist Infighting Erupts After ‘White Lives Matter’ Rally
White nationalist groups have been fracturing in the days after last weekend’s “White Lives Matter” rally in Tennessee — disagreeing over preferred tactics and image. According to a new post by Marilyn Mayo of the the Anti-Defamation League, white nationalists are divided into two camps when it comes to this particular dispute: those who promote…
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Fast Forward Nonstop Flights To Israel From Miami Are Back — Nine Years Later
El Al relaunched nonstop service between Tel Aviv and Miami on Wednesday, the Miami Herald reported, marking the airline’s return since it canceled service in September 2008. The airline had canceled service because of fuel costs and rates, El Al’s managing director said. Starting this week, the airline is offering three weekly roundtrip flights on…
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Fast Forward Charlottesville ‘Crying Nazi’ Hosts Radio Show — From Jail Cell
Christopher Cantwell, a white nationalist who famously wept over being wanted by the police in the wake of this summer’s violent Unite the Right rally, is now hosting a web radio show — from behind bars. He is boasting that he is a “political prisoner” and reading up on anti-Semitic books while jailed. Cantwell’s transformation…
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Fast Forward University of Cincinnati Counters Richard Spencer’s Visit With ‘Message Of Love’
As part of their preparation for the scheduled visit of white nationalist Richard Spencer next month, the University of Cincinnati released a 2-minute-long clip cautioned students to think carefully about their response to the “alt-right” figurehead. “The choice of how we respond to Richard Spencer’s visit is ours to make,” speakers in the video recite…
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News When Martin Luther Accused The Jews Of Eating Satan’s S—-
Exactly five centuries ago, Martin Luther sparked what would become the Protestant Reformation by nailing a list of criticisms on a church door in Germany. Luther decried what he saw as abusive and corrupt practices in the Roman Catholic church — but reserved a very special kind of hatred for Jews, whom he branded an…
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Fast Forward Messianic Jews Face Backlash From Ohio Community
A new Messianic school in Dayton, Ohio, is prompting some backlash among the Jewish community. According to a recent Dayton Jewish Observer report a so-called Messianic Jewish group named Ahavat Torah Yeshiva is ramping up online activity — but not clearly indicating to potential members that the group does not follow traditional Judaism and believes…
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Fast Forward City Of Charlottesville Blamed For Handling Of Violent March
An early official report is blaming the city of Charlottesville, Virginia, for the violence that occurred in the city on August 12 during a white supremacist rally — saying the city had been warned about possible violence, including a potential car attack. The report was presented to the Governor’s Civil Unrest Task Force in Richmond…
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