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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What Happens When Hadassah Women Tour the World Erotic Art Museum?
Tony Oats doubled over in laughter when he heard our request. Never before in his ten years as a museum employee, had he received such a funny inquiry. “Could you show us some uncircumcised penises, please? We’re a bunch of older Jewish ladies and most of us have never seen one.” Straightening up, he shook…
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Is It Sexist To Call Ayelet Shaked the ‘Israeli Sarah Palin’?
“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.” That was the tagline of a classic 1980’s shampoo commercial in the United States. A tweaked version of the slogan can be applied to Israel’s newly appointed Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked – she’s not hated because she’s beautiful. But the intensity with which she’s hated – and feared –…
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A Mother’s ‘Shabbat Love’ and the Benefits of a Spiritual Education
Growing up in a Reform Jewish home in the Midwest, I loved Shabbat with my mother, lighting the candles and attending services. Usually we were only among five people in the front rows of the pews in an enormous Reform Congregation of 500 empty seats, or shall we say non-attending members. But it felt very…
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Freyda Faivus’ New York Forverts Life
Welcome to Throwback Thursday, a weekly photo feature in which we sift 116 years of Forward history to find snapshots of women’s lives. It’s unusual for a staffer in the back offices of a newspaper, amidst the glories of the type of fame suitably bestowed on the editorial staff, is also deemed worthy of recognition…
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Our Jewish Mothers for Better or Worse
These past few weeks, I’ve gotten so many great stories about people and their Jewish mothers. Some were uplifting and some were sad. But I think the bottom line for many of us was that, no matter how complicated our relationships are with our mothers, we still love them. Sometimes, talking about the things that…
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Meet Ayelet Shaked, Israel’s New Justice Minister
Meet Israel’s new justice minister: Ayelet Shaked. I wrote a lengthy profile of Shaked in January ahead of Israel’s March elections. For those of you who need a refresher, Shaked is perhaps best known for her incendiary Facebook post last summer that justified bombing Palestinian civilians because they give shelter to “evil.” She made international…
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The Jewish Firebrand Who’s Aiming for Upset in Mrs. Thatcher’s Stronghold
Knocking on voters’ doors is one of the oldest traditions of British elections. All candidates for Parliament do it, including prime ministers and aspiring prime ministers in the constituencies they hope will send them to the House of Commons. There’s always an element of the surprise: Will someone be at home, how are they planning…
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For Princess Charlotte, a Pink Dress From Israel
(JTA) — Who knew Israeli President Reuven Rivlin had such a keen fashion sense? As the media frenzy surrounding the birth of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s second child continued through Monday, Rivlin and his wife, First Lady Nechama Rivlin — grandparents of six — sent the newborn British princess a frilly pink dress that reads…
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Israel’s State-Sanctioned Adultery Blacklist
It’s time to talk about Israel’s blacklist. This registry of “untouchables” — the last public accounting of it in 2004 lists 5,305 Israelis — is a motley crew who fall under three general categorizations: People who can’t marry any type of Jew (2,835) “Unkosher” Jews who can’t marry “kosher Jews” but can marry other “unkosher…
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Stop ‘Praying for Baltimore’ on Social Media
As coverage of the uprising in Baltimore in response to the death of Freddie Gray spread across social media this week, I noticed one observable phenomenon on my Facebook feed: white folks “praying for Baltimore.” Prayer helps us cope. It’s a place to go when we are overwhelmed, when we need to feel like there…
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The Feminist Hipster Muslim Series You Didn’t Know You Were Waiting For
Shopping for vibrators, reverse catcalling, detox cleanses — all set in the environs of Brooklyn? It may sound like an episode of “Broad City” but this comedic duo may be even edgier than Abbi and Ilana. The web series which began its second season this month, follows the adventures of Shugufta and Fatima, “two Hijabis…
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