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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Kisses from Rav Kook
Thinkstock No one smiles at you in Mea Shearim — the ultra-Orthodox quarter of Jerusalem. Signs on the buildings warn: “Jewish women — dress modestly!” I’d been warned that girls who entered the quarter wearing t-shirts or short skirts had been stoned. It was my first visit to Jerusalem at age 35, and I hadn’t…
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Rabbis Gone Wild — About Modesty and (Gasp!) Zumba
Thinkstock // One Orthodox Rabbi has strongly condemned Zumba classes. In recent years, a slew of savvy Orthodox rabbis have taken to condemning women for everything they do. Their brilliant speeches can be found on YouTube and other websites, and have made their rounds on social media. The topics of their impassioned speeches run the…
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Lucy Gherman’s Winding Career in Yiddish Theater
Forward Association Lucy Gherman had a long and winding career in Yiddish theater but it was likely her role as the long-suffering mother in the Yiddish film “A Brivele Der Mamen” (“A Letter to Mother”) that made her known for the ages. (She is pictured in the photo above, second from left, in a still…
The Latest
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The Best Reasons to Unplug
Thinkstock During Lent and Passover, we are told to renounce: food, mostly, but bad habits too. One New York congregation, Romemu, has gone even further, arguing that email is virtual hametz, something to drop during Passover. I’m as compelled by the ebb and flow of cleanses and abstinence — followed and preceded by hedonism, of…
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The Redemption of Valley Girl Speak
IMDB // The Valley girl characters Cher Horowitz and Dionne Davenport in “Clueless” Like, yes. Like totally. Like finally. The Valley girls of the world have been redeemed. In what I hope is the last and final word on girl speak, the New York Times recently ran an oped by prominent linguist and literature professor…
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A Jewish Queen of Late Night?
Getty Images Last week, Chelsea Handler of “E!“‘s late night talk show “Chelsea Lately” announced that she would be leaving the network. A few days later, David Letterman — host of “The Late Show” and the record-holder for longest running late night host in history — announced that he would be retiring in 2015. Coincidence?…
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Happy Equal Pay Day!
Thinkstock Happy Equal Pay Day Ladies! Today marks how long into this year women must work in order to make how much men made last year when you adjust for how much money we lose because of the 23% gender wage gap. Feels good, right? Equal Pay Day was started by the National Committee on…
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Breakin Up by Text Is Un-Jewish
Thinkstock Texting is now the most popular way to break up with one’s partner, at least according to XOJane. Why? “It’s less awkward,” survey respondents said. My fellow millennials, let’s get one thing straight. Whipping off a short digital note with one hand and half a brain to someone with whom you’ve been recently and…
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Pesach Prep Is a Marathon for Hasidic Women
Thinkstock It’s that time of year — the time I expect the smell of Murphy’s Oil Soap and chlorine to waft through the windows of every home. It’s my favorite time of the year, too, from my earliest memories. No, I’m not referring to spring and the anticipation of warm weather, but to Pesach —…
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Louisa Solomon of The Shondes Talks Censorship
Shondes.com // Louisa Solomon of The Shondes Louisa Solomon is the feminist lead singer of The Shondes, a punk-rock band (think “Bruce Springsteen meets Bikini Kill,” she jokes) with openly queer members. The Forward once said she had “ a talent for androgynous sass.” Although the group espouses punk’s rebellious ethos and sometimes touch on…
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The Story Behind ‘Transgender & Jewish’
Forward deputy culture editor Naomi Zeveloff and Yeshiva University professor Joy Ladin talk with the City University of New York’s ethnic media show about transgender inclusion in Jewish life, following the publication of the Forward’s new eBook on transgender issues.
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