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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What Happens When A 79-Year-Old Former Chanel President Gets A Tattoo?
We all know about mid-life crises, even quarter-life crises. But is there such a thing as three-quarters life crises? Arie Kopelman, the former Chanel president was catapulted into viral fame when his famous daughter, Jill Kargman, the star of Bravo’s hit scripted series “Odd Mom Out,” posted a photo on Instagram of Kopelman getting his…
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The First Thanksgiving Sermon Given By A Rabbi In 1789
As soon as George Washington proclaimed the first Thanksgiving holiday in 1789, some American Jews embraced the tradition right away. Gershom Mendes Seixas, considered by some to be American Judaism’s first public figure, was only 23 years old when he was appointed in 1768 as the cantor of New York’s Congregation Shearith Israel (at the…
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A Thanksgiving Seder: Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights?
This year, some Jewish leaders are applying the Passover Seder model to the Thanksgiving dinner. Joy Levitt (executive director of the JCC of Manhattan) has compiled a Haggadah for her family Thanksgiving meal — replete with her own set of Four Questions. Her Haggadah features patriotic songs (“This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is…
The Latest
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The Star Of Serena William’s Wedding Was Top Israeli Bridal Designer
It’s no surprise that Serena Williams, for her wedding in New Orleans to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian this past weekend, picked bridesmaid dresses from Israeli wedding designer, Galia Lahav. Galia Lahav is Israel’s premiere couture bridal designer. And for a wedding that was super exclusive and crowded with hordes of celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, Vogue…
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Dear Liberals: It’s Not Racist For Me To Tell My Kids To Marry Jewish
In conversations with other parents, we often discuss what we would say if our children told us they were gay or transgender. It’s possible that I get this question more often than other people because I am an out-and-proud conservative living in the liberal enclave of Park Slope, Brooklyn. Having rarely come across a conservative,…
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Upper East Side Moms Facebook Group In Turmoil — Over Israel And The Palestinians
The topic of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is stirring controversy in unusual quarters. A Facebook group of moms on Manhattan’s Upper East Side that is known for tense exchanges (along with stroller recommendations, nanny discussions and million-dollar apartment advertisements) is teetering on the edge of dissolution with the publication of a children’s book. And according to…
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Orthodox Fashionistas Gather To Talk Faith And Fashion
Last Tuesday night at the Mezzanine, a sleek and spare event space in FiDi, Adi Heyman stood on a blue-lit white stage giving direction to Michal Kurtis, a buyer at Barneys; Kim Heyman, a brand ambassador for Israeli designers; and Adena Rohatiner, a celebrity stylist. “There’s no right or wrong,” Adi told them. “Three words,…
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When Men Pray, Women Are Asked To Leave The Room
Separate but unequal is inherently unequal. The Orthodox requirement for separate religious spheres, including for prayer, is understood in the modern Orthodox world not as an exception to this axiom, but as a divinely ordained protection of complementary roles for men and women in Jewish law. The case is closed for disputing the paradox of…
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Meet England’s Hilarious — and Orthodox — Comedian
There are many Jewish comedians in show business, but few are Orthodox. And while most of them live in New York and Los Angeles, the United Kingdom has one of its own: Ashley Blaker, a former BBC writer and producer on the popular show “Little Britain,” and an internationally-acclaimed act. Now, Blaker is bringing his…
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Why Young American Jews Are Choosing Social Justice Over Religious Ritual
As a congregational rabbi and lay leader, we have found that congregants who are resistant to their synagogue working for change in their community often claim that political issues don’t belong in the synagogue. They maintain that synagogues are there to help Jews, not the larger community. Board members raise the possibility of the synagogue…
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The Woman Who Rescued Jewish Books From The Vilna Ghetto
Some 75 years ago, a group of Jews under German occupation in Vilna was assigned to assist Nazi authorities in curating books and other cultural items destined for shipment to Germany. There, the selection of Judaica materials was to be conserved as a collection of artifacts from an extinct people. Some items were indeed shipped…
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