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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Why Are Jews So Obsessed With The Study Of Halacha, Religious Law?
I am not particularly interested in halacha. I enjoy studying Talmud because the emphasis is on the questions rather than the answers; I am less interested in how Jews are supposed to practice, and more interested in the values and considerations that animate the discussions about Jewish religious observance. I think of Talmud and halacha…
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Synagogues Are Dropping Old ‘Hierarchical’ Designs, Opting For More Modern Sensibilities
Why should a 21st-century synagogue look any different from an 18th-century one? After all, the structure of the service and many of the prayers are the same, one might argue. But as modern life has morphed and changed, so too have potential congregants and service attendees. In a world where increased use of technology has…
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Stress Eating, Texting, And Tears: How Rabbis Prepare For The Holiest Days Of The Year
It’s late August. Summer storms arrive as if from nowhere, soaking the sun-warmed pavement. Parents are transitioning from the childcare scramble to the school drop-off scramble. Sand particles cling to the bottoms of canvas bags as you shop supermarkets stocked with snack-packs and pumpkin products. The High Holidays are on their way. Do you know…
The Latest
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‘A Provincial Town’: When Abraham Cahan Visited Jerusalem’s Synagogues In 1925
In 1925, Abraham Cahan, founding editor of the Forverts, embarked on a journey to Palestine. Long before ElAl started flying daily out of JFK, this was the closest that the average American Jew got to the Holy Land. This editorial appeared on October 24, 1925 in the English supplement of the Forverts. We have reproduced…
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Learning To Forgive Our Children, As Rosh Hashanah Approaches
As soon as I learned to read, I became a bookworm. I spent much of my childhood immersed in novels and generally oblivious to the rest of the world. One day in high school, as I made my way down the hallway absorbed in a book, I accidentally walked straight into a brawl and got…
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Why Are American Synagogues Of Different Denominations Merging?
For Kathy Jacobs, the decision to join Agudas Achim Congregation wasn’t really much of a decision. The Coralville, Iowa synagogue was the only one within miles of Iowa City when Jacobs and her late husband moved to the area in 1998. This also meant that it wasn’t necessarily her decision to join a synagogue that…
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10 Ways To Make Your Synagogue More Accessible To People With Disabilities
Over the last decade, more and more Jewish institutions and organizations have become conscious of the importance of the inclusion of people with disabilities and their families—and have taken action steps to make their communities more inclusive both in terms of creating welcoming culture and also in terms of making physical changes needed for accessibility….
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For Centuries, Spanish Jews Have Held Rosh Hashanah Seders
When Yael Cobano, the President of the Comunidad Judía Reformista de Madrid (CJRM) or the Reform Jewish Community of Madrid, planned her congregation’s potluck Rosh Hashanah dinner last year, she focused on nine ingredients. Members were asked to bring dishes that contained any of the following: Apples, honey, leeks, beets, dates, beans, squash, pomegranate, and…
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The Ultimate Glossary To Surviving Synagogue
Whether you participate in Jewish prayer three times a day or two times a year, entering spiritual spaces can be a linguistic minefield. Rich tradition plus an ancient language is a recipe for beauty, but also for confusion. Here’s a handy glossary to keep you informed from the moment you pop open the siddur to…
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The Mikveh Is The Trendy Place To Be, In Manhattan’s Upper West Side
ImmerseNYC, a non-profit start-up founded by Rabbi Sara Luria, will be merging with the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, the JCC has announced. ImmerseNYC is a pluralistic, feminist project which facilitates “welcoming, tranformative mikveh immersions” through volunteer mikveh guides and educational programming around Jewish ritual bath immersions. The merge will mark the JCC as the first…
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Does Harsh Punishment At Orthodox Schools Push Our Kids Away From The Faith?
The spring I turned fourteen, my mother bought me a peach-colored T-shirt. I don’t know why I loved it so much. Perhaps because things had been so gray around me, so muddled in the confusion of teenage-hood, that the color of this shirt brought hope and warmth to my spirit. About two weeks after my…
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