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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One-Way Mirror Mechitzah Proposed at Kotel
As if things weren’t difficult enough for women who want to pray or be in any way connected with their loved ones’ bar mitzvahs at the Western Wall, Israel’s outgoing Ashkenazi chief rabbi, Yona Metzger, has proposed a mechitzah with one-way glass. The current mechitzah at the Kotel is, I would guess, between eight and…
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Dear Abby, You Were One Impressive Gal
I am not generally a fan of the term “gal,” but what other word can be used to describe Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips, the beloved creator and author of Dear Abby, who died last week at age 94? With a legion of fans worldwide — the column is carried by 1,400 newspapers and has a…
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Roe v. Wade’s 40th Anniversary
“Carole, do you know what a lamed vovnik is?” a Philadelphia obstetrician/gynecologist suddenly asked me during an interview I was conducting with him in the late 1980s. It certainly wasn’t a typical question a sociologist gets when interviewing a doctor about his medical practice. But Dr. Morris Fischer (a pseudonym) seemed both surprised and pleased…
The Latest
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My War on Toys
We parents believe, at first, that we’ll keep the number of toys in our homes manageable. That we won’t become one of those families with plastic toys constantly piling up underfoot. We imagine that our kids will play school and house; that they’ll throw a ball around when friends come over. We imagine that once…
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HBI Conference Explores Gender, Love, Family
There is more than one way to form a Jewish marriage. This was a central message emerging from a recent conference in Jerusalem called “New Understandings of Gender, Love and the Jewish Family,” co-sponsored by the VanLeer Jerusalem Institute, the Hadassah Brandeis Institute and the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University entitled. The…
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The First Wedding After Ours
Jeremy and I recently went to the first wedding of our friends since our own. I expected it to be an incredibly different experience from all the weddings I attended prior to my own, but the only real difference was how aware I was of my smile. Jeremy and I happened to have watched our…
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I’m A Facebook Mom — But Not Why You Think
This essay is in response to Elissa Strauss’ “Why I Don’t Post Photos of My Baby on Facebook.” I used to get a kick out of the stereotypically prideful mother, the one who shows wallet-sized photos of her children to anyone within eyeshot. It seemed she was desperately seeking praise for perfectly coordinated outfits and…
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Want To Attract a Guy on JDate?
Want to attract a Jewish guy online? Let’s start with the bad news: Don’t be accomplished, be aspirational. Don’t sound mature. Don’t talk too much. Don’t be tall. Don’t be fat. Don’t be funny, because you will come off sarcastic. Don’t mention work, or any professional accomplishments. And for the the good news: You CAN…
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Palo Alto’s Jewish Fairy Godmother
Tech industry aficionados traveling to Palo Alto, Calif., to visit sites like the HP Garage and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ house likely drive right past the Lucie Stern Community Center. They probably don’t even notice it, let alone wonder about the Jewish woman whose name it bears. If you look carefully, many of Palo Alto’s…
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Getting Used to ‘Husband’
When I first got my driver’s license, I was sure a cop would pull me over at any moment, demanding to see I.D. I have always looked younger than my age, and I couldn’t imagine the policeman wouldn’t be suspicious that I was a 12-year-old out for a joy ride with my mother’s car. It…
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What Would Debbie Say — About Jodie?
Jodie Foster’s speech at The Golden Globe Awards Sunday night was rambling, provocative and prompted strong reactions. She seemed to come out as a lesbian, upending one of Hollywood’s oldest open secrets. And she made an ardent, funny case for respecting her privacy. Some people loved it. Others did not. Based on my Twitter and…
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