Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of the robust lives of American Jews. Here there’s a little of everything about the multifaceted world of Jewish life. There are light-hearted Jewish celebrity stories and shocking Jewish celebrity news. Food is also plentiful,…
Life
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Hillary Clinton Doesn’t Have a ‘Presidential Look’ — Which Is Great
Donald Trump does not believe Hillary Clinton “has a presidential look.” How unkind of him! And yet, how restrained, as far as he’s concerned. The “presidential look” remark is, for Trump, exceedingly mild stuff. The birther candidate is not comparing his rival’s physique to a chicken takeout order or demanding her execution, as his fans…
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Meet Sue-Ann Levy, Canada’s Right-Wing Gay Jewish Muckraker
She’s called herself “feisty,” “a tough cookie” and “a shit disturber.” Others have dubbed her “the devil” But for the title of her new autobiography, Sue-Ann Levy chose “Underdog: Confessions of a Right-Wing Gay Jewish Muckraker” (Signal Books). Though less familiar to American audiences, Levy’s a legendary figure in Canada, where she’s a pull-no-punches investigative…
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When Donald Trump Calls One Woman Fat and Ugly, He’s Insulting All of Us
Recently, Donald Trump tried to apologize, saying that he regretted his occasional use of the wrong words, “particularly where it may have caused personal pain.” But his words have caused me personal pain, and I don’t so easily forgive him. His supporters tell me, “That’s just his style. Don’t take it so personally.” And yet…
The Latest
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Finding Alternative Portals into Jewish Life
The posts on The New Spirituality blog are responses to Rabbi Sid Schwarz’s lead essay in his book, Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future(Jewish Lights). In that essay, which was posted on this site on May 5, 2016, Schwarz argues that any organization that hopes to speak to the next generation…
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I’m Against Marriage, So Why Do I Keep Helping My Friends Get Married?
How have I participated in so many weddings? Let me count the ways: I’ve written and recited a six-word story about love. I’ve signed a ketubah (Jewish wedding contract) and will do so again soon. I’ve held the chuppah (the Jewish ritual wedding canopy). It’s strange, because I have made my opinions and politics clear…
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What Would Maimonides Say About Sexting and Anthony Weiner’s Betrayal
Aggrieved political wives have a long, sad history in this country, and in Judaism. From King David to Bill Clinton, betrayed wives have, sadly, become part of the fabric of the entitlement that surrounds powerful men. And in Judaism, figures like King David’s conquests have been, in some quarters, celebrated as evidence of his virility….
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Argentine Boxer Carolina Raquel Duer Grabs Championship in Return to Ring
Argentine Jewish boxer Carolina Raquel Duer won the interim International Boxing Federation’s world bantamweight title in her return to the ring after two years. Duer, 38, nicknamed “The Turk,” knocked out Aline de Casia Scaranello of Brazil in the sixth round Friday in Quilmes, a Buenos Aires suburb. The bout was aired live by the…
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The Forward Has a Vagenda — What’s Yours?
Frankly, it’s almost painful to remember a time when we weren’t blessed with the revolutionary concept of “Vagenda of Manocide.” For those not yet initiated, earlier this week Twitter user Matthew Foster shared a picture of a Maine gun shop’s sign, colorfully luring customers with the message below. The Vagenda of Manocide has since rampaged…
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Vive L’Hypocrisie: Orthodox French Rabbis Back Burkini Ban
For the sake of tznius – religious modesty – Orthodox women cover their hair, their arms and legs below the shoulders and knees, and, in some cases, their collarbones. In some ultra-Orthodox communities the requirements of modesty even extend to men, who won’t wear shorts or short sleeved shirts in public. And for Orthodox women…
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France’s Rules? Topless OK — Burkini No Way
Over the past week, enough ink has been spilled about swimwear in France to make you think it’s fashion week. For a country fixated on the female body, this is not particularly surprising. France has a long history of commodifying, objectifying, and editorializing women’s bodies, almost always for the sake of fashion and (usually impossible)…
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Seriously, What Orthodox Women Wear to the Beach Is No Different From a Burkini
Moshe Sebbag, the rabbi of the Grand Synagogue of Paris, announced this week that he supports the French ban on burkinis, the modest swimwear some Muslim women wear to cover up on the beach. Wearing a burkini, he said, is not “innocent” and it sends a message. But, we ask Sebbag, what difference exactly is…
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