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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Separate but Equal: the Best Mikveh Option for Non-Orthodox Israelis?
Israeli lawmaker Moshe Gafni was so incensed by the Knesset approving funding this week for four non-Orthodox mikvehs that he vowed that in response, “there will be a world war.” But to the Reform and Conservative movements in Israel, I say – take the money and run. I know how big a difference it makes…
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Why Israel Funding Non-Orthodox Mikvehs Is a Step Forward — and Backward
The Israeli government – currently in the midst of various financial crises like a doctors’ strike and a revolt by municipalities protesting major cuts to education – has miraculously found 10 million NIS for something that until now has never really existed. That is: non-Orthodox mikvehs. The new initiative to create non-Orthodox ritual baths is…
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Some Ultra-Orthodox Newspapers Erase Hillary Clinton. We Tried It on Trump.
For religious reasons, many ultra-Orthodox Jewish newspapers opt not to feature photos of women, even modestly dressed women, in their publications. Women in positions of power around the world often pose a problem: Last year, the small Israeli paper Hamevaser photoshoppsed German chancellor Angela Merkel out of a photo from the Paris march against terror…
The Latest
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Kedushah through Immersive Experiential Education
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…
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Israeli Lawmaker: ‘I Will Wage War’ to Prevent Funding Non-Orthodox Mikvehs
JERUSALEM — A Knesset committee approved funding to build mikvehs for use by non-Orthodox Jewish movements in Israel, but its chairman promised a “world war” in allowing the plan to advance. The Finance Committee allocated 10 million shekels, or more than $2.6 million, for the project on Monday, The Jerusalem Post reported. The four mikvehs…
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How the ‘Knocked’ Up Sexism Debacle Exemplifies Misogyny in Hollywood
A lot is being said about what Seth Rogen said on Monday while on Howard Stern’s radio show regarding his nearly 10 year long feud with “Knocked Up” co-star Katherine Heigl. Heigl made a comment in 2008 in a Vanity Fair interview, to the effect that the film was “a little sexist” for “painting women…
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This Young Woman Battled the Israeli Army to Become a Combat Soldier
A conversation with 20-year old Eden Levy at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport: Hi, can I ask why you’re traveling? I start my army service next week, and I’ve been living at home for the last while. I’m flying now so that I can take a little break with my sister before I come back to…
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Why an American Hijab-Wearing Olympian Is Good for the Jews
Arguably, the largest international stage in the world is the Olympics. So it’s no great surprise that this week’s choice by Ibtihaj Muhammad, a young Muslim-American fencer, to wear a hijab during competition has come under intense scrutiny. In part, this is because the images of Islam in the media over the past year, and…
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Why Don’t Women Designing Ivanka Trump’s Fashion Line Get Paid Maternity Leave?
Ivanka Trump has made her brand about supporting working women, and she says her father is on board. But how can we take her at her word when her clothing line designers don’t get a single day of paid maternity leave, and her father underpays his female employees? The company licensed to design and distribute…
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The Disturbing Sexist Trend in Interfaith Work
I was at the gym this morning, when an ad came on the TV with a powerful image. It was three men: a minister, an imam, and a rabbi talking to and hugging each other. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but it looked heartwarming — the kind of feel-good image you might find…
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Why Glamour Is the Perfect Outlet for Obama’s Feminist Manifesto
Obama’s recent personal essay on his feminism was smart and relatable. But as well-written as it was, I don’t want to talk about it. The piece speaks for itself. I want to talk about the medium. While any publication in the world would’ve been delighted to feature an exclusive piece written by the sitting President…
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