Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of Ashkenazi Jews, a major Jewish diasporic ethnic group native to Europe.
Ashkenazi Jews
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Opinion The Black Panthers Haggadah
The following is a translation of the Israeli Black Panthers Haggadah With a strong hand, two. And with an outstretched arm, two more. With great terror, two more. With protests, two more. With banners raised, two more. With hunger strikes, two more. These, then, are 10 plagues that the Black Panthers from Musrara brought upon…
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The Schmooze Enough With The ‘Ashkenormativity,’ Buzzfeed
Another day, another Buzzfeed Jewish-centric video. And much like their other chosen productions, it’s incredibly Ashkenormative. “11 Things Jewish Friends Just Get” tells the tale of two nominally Jewish ladies, who have to stick together in the face of incredibe goyish ignorance. Thank God someone in this room understands what “schlepping” means, amirite? Aside from…
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News Should More Ashkenazi Jews Get Tested for Cancer-Causing BRCA Gene Mutations?
A new initiative offering subsidized screening for cancer-causing mutations in Ashkenazi Jews — including those with no family history of cancer — appears to be splitting cancer specialists. The BRCA community study, sponsored by the Program for Jewish Genetic Health, began accepting applicants in January from Ashkenazi women and men age 25 and older. Led…
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Opinion Learning to Undo ‘Ashkenormativity’
Maimonides, one of the most famous Sephardic Jews, as portrayed on an Israeli banknote Like most Jews with ties to South Africa, my heritage is extremely Ashkenazi. In fact, both sides of my family largely originate from the same region of what is now northeastern Lithuania and northern Belarus. Growing up in New York, most…
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Fast Forward Jerusalem Elects Ashkenazi and Sephardi Chief Rabbis
The Jerusalem City Council elected two new chief rabbis, including Rabbi Shlomo Amar, the former chief rabbi of Israel. Amar was tapped as the city’s Sephardi chief rabbi on Tuesday evening. Rabbi Aryeh Stern was picked as the Ashkenazi chief rabbi. Both had the support of Mayor Nir Barkat. Stern is a modern Orthodox rabbi…
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News Should All Ashkenazi Women Get Tested for BRCA Gene Mutations?
No family history of cancer? Get tested anyway suggests a recently-published study, but medical experts are deeply divided. The study indicates that even Ashkenazi women with no family history of the disease but who test positive for a cancer-causing genetic mutation have high rates of breast and ovarian cancer. At the heart of the dispute…
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News Ashkenazi Jews Descend From 350 People, Scientists Say
Exploring Ashkenazi Jews And Their Origins
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Fast Forward New Study Recommends All Ashkenazi Women Be Screened for BRCA
All women of Ashkenazi descent should be screened from age 30 for the BRCA gene mutation that causes breast cancer, an Israeli study recommends. The study, by a research team headed by Ephrat Levy-Lahad of Shaare Zedek Medical Center, was published Friday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United…
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Opinion My Jewish moms group ousted me because I work for J Street. Is this what communal life has come to?
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News Student protesters being deported are not ‘martyrs and heroes,’ says former antisemitism envoy
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Fast Forward Suspected arsonist intended to beat Gov. Josh Shapiro with a sledgehammer, investigators say
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News Who is Alan Garber, the Jewish Harvard president who stood up to Trump over antisemitism?
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Fast Forward Dozens of members of UK’s largest Jewish group sign letter condemning war in Gaza
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Culture Actor Ben Platt says his Jewish identity is ‘not defined’ by Israel, showing a gap between him and his influential family
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Fast Forward Shapiro house fire suspect targeted Jewish governor over pro-Israel stances, search warrant says
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Fast Forward Jewish family killed in New York plane crash
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