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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Philadelphia’s Rising Drag Star Is A Ukulele Champion With Deep Jewish Roots
Not every bearded drag queen can play the ukulele in a towering purple wig and a dress made of balloons. But Eric Jaffe has turned that schtick into a burgeoning career in Philadelphia, where he’s become a nightlife staple. And the mold-breaking performer says that his Holocaust-survivor grandparents are partly to thank for his success….
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Israeli Scientists Have Created A Biodegradable Plastic That Just Might Save The Planet
Plastic production keeps hitting record highs, and the entailing pollution might be one of the most destructive forces humanity has ever exerted on the planet. Companies, start-ups, and researchers are desperately looking for alternatives that will finally put an end to the ever-growing problem. Now, Israeli scientists have found a way to produce plastic with…
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I’m An Orthodox Woman — And The Rabbinate Barred Me From The Mikveh
This past June, the night before my wedding, I was told I would not be permitted to immerse in the mikveh. Like many young religious Jews in Israel, my now-husband and I are vehemently opposed to the Israeli Rabbinate and its policies, many of which we view to be blatantly against halakha. Because of this,…
The Latest
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Remembering Nancy Sternoff, Jewish Feminist Leader
Nancy Schwartz Sternoff died on January 12, 2019 in New York, NY after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer. An exceptional organizational strategist, fundraiser, and feminist leader, Nancy earned an M.A. in American Literature from NYU and a B.A. Summa Cum Laude from Syracuse University. Born in North Carolina, Nancy raised her children in Seattle….
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The Nightmare Of Having To Adopt Your Own Child
Growing up as a closeted queer kid in the suburbs of Chicago, families looked one way – with a mom and dad. I knew at a young age that I was different, and my parents were divorced, and as a result I couldn’t imagine what a family would look like for me. I didn’t know…
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A Walk Through Bukharian Queens — Just Don’t Call It ‘Russian’
The most common misconception about Bukharian Jews? Manashe Khaimov hesitates for a few seconds, then answers: “That we are Russian Jews. The only thing we share with Russian Jews,” he continues, “are the 70 years we lived under the Soviet Union. For 2,000 years, we had a different history, a different culture.” A community little-known…
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Let’s Celebrate New Year’s Like Religious Jews Celebrate Rosh Hashanah
As I plan for New Year’s, RSVP’ing to parties and finding plus ones, I think about last New Year, just three months ago. Rosh Hashanah — the Jewish New Year. It was a call I had avoided for five months. I had procrastinated and retreated in embarrassment — but it had to be done. [Rosh…
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What Yeshiva Kids Are Actually Studying All Day
In the last few years, advocacy groups have criticized yeshivas (Orthodox private schools) in the New York area for offering students a substandard education. YAFFED (Young Advocates for Fair Education) recently sued New York state, challenging the constitutionality of a recent amendment to an education law directed at these schools, and has argued that their…
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Why Hasidic Jews Avoid The Torah On Christmas Eve
It is a common practice among Hasidic Jews to abstain from studying the Torah on Christmas Eve. This tradition is remarkable, since for one thing, religious Jews do not usually have customs associated with Christian holidays. For another, studying of Torah is considered one of the most important things Jews must do, and they otherwise…
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For Russian Jews, ‘Christmas’ Trees Reflect Tradition — Not Assimilation
Forget Chinese food. While American Jews nosh on sinful servings of moo shu, their Russian-speaking neighbors indulge in a syncretic Christmas ritual of their own, preparing for New Year’s celebrations. Over 1.7 million Jews left the Soviet Union since the 1970s, with some 500,000 settling in the United States. My own family arrived in 1989,…
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