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
-
The Strip Clubs Near the ‘Hallowed Ground’ That Is Ground Zero
In the midst of the never-ending storm about the Park51 — the Islamic cultural center formerly known as Cordoba House — in Lower Manhattan, which is causing more than a little controversy due to its proximity to Ground Zero, The Daily News ran a funny piece about other interesting “cultural centers” that lie a mere…
-
The Female Mohel
Can a woman perform a bris? Jewish scholars, even the most Orthodox among them, answer with a tentative “why not?” for there is no halachic prohibition against mohelot, or female mohels. While Jewish law states that it’s preferable for a Jewish male to perform the brit milah, or ritual circumcision, if one is present, it…
-
Real Men Marry Rabbis
It’s a truism that fashion trends repeat themselves. Sure, there may be a new style, but it’s really just a repeat of an old one, usually with some small variations on the theme. It’s just too bad that when low-rise bell bottoms were big a few years ago, I wasn’t able to wear them and…
The Latest
-
Embracing Jewish Women Who Are Childless by Choice
Women cannot win. If we have children, we are criticized about the way we raise them, how many of them we have and who they turn out to be. If we don’t have them, we are pathologized, essentialized and told that we don’t know what we want. Most insidious, I think, is when these painful…
-
Israeli Judge: Flotilla Commission Must Appoint a Woman
The sexism endemic to Israeli corridors of power has finally made it to front-page news. The all-male commission investigating the May 31 Gaza flotilla incident, headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Yaakov Turkel, has been ordered by the Supreme Court to add a woman to its ranks. Turkel, however, has thus far responded by refusing…
-
Female Analysts Taking Their Place at Political Roundtables
Never thought I’d be saying this about Fox News, but I witnessed what may be a watershed moment for women — in a good way — on the Fox Sunday News show “Panel Plus.” The show on August 15 was guest-hosted by Bret Baier and featured four politically conservative talking heads discussing the current news….
-
Repudiating My Inner Balebuste
The title of Elissa Strauss’ essay in the Forward, “Embracing My Inner Balebuste,” caught my eye. Perhaps it’s a reflection of what I assume are a few years of difference in our age that I find the term “balebuste” loaded with provocative associations and Elissa can embrace the title with pride. On the other hand,…
-
On Dr. Laura’s Tirade — and Her Defection From Orthodoxy
Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the heavy-handed conservative radio host, is in the news for using the n-word 11 times during her Tuesday show. Schlessinger told an African-American woman, who is married to a white man and who called in for advice about dealing with her in-laws’ racist remarks, that if she doesn’t have a sense of…
-
Digest: National Survey on Agunot; New Ruling on Parental Leave
The Sisterhood Digest: A group of Israeli women recently smuggled 12 Palestinian women and four children into Israel for a day of leisure. The women dined out in Jaffa and swam in the Mediterranean before the Palestinian women returned to the West Bank via Jerusalem. Among the excursion organizers was the Israeli writer Ilana Hammerman,…
-
For First Time Since Leader’s Arrest, Women of the Wall Gather Amid Angry Protests
The monthly gathering of the prayer group Women of the Wall Wednesday morning — the first since last month’s arrest of the group’s leader for the crime of “praying with a Sefer Torah” — was a study in contrasts. The sound of women’s voices singing psalms of praise — the Rosh Chodesh Hallel prayers —…
-
The ‘Immortal Life’ of a Tzaddikah
When it comes to giving tzedakah, doing so anonymously is considered the most virtuous way to go. By the standards of the Rambam’s ladder of tzedakah, Henrietta Lacks would be one of the greatest tzaddikahs of all time. Lacks gave of herself by way of cells that have enabled scientists to conduct research to create…
Explore
Most Popular
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward Half of American Jewish voters believe Trump is antisemitic, poll finds
-
Fast Forward Authorities arrest self-proclaimed ‘king’ of Germany and ban his antisemitic group
-
Fast Forward JNF allocates $100,000 to support NYC Israel Parade for the first time
-
Sports ‘Regrettable’ pro-Israel tweets land Florida hockey exec in penalty box
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
