Haredi
The Latest
-
Life I’m Sick Of Orthodox Women Being Fetishized In Films Like ‘Disobedience’
As a girl, I used to steal books from my mother’s nightstand. Often they were the titles she was reading for the local synagogue’s sisterhood book club, and as such, they were quite often about Orthodox women: “The Romance Reader” by Pearl Abraham, “Kaaterskill Falls” by Allegra Goodman, Naomi Ragen titles. I devoured these hardcovers…
-
Community These Four Conflicting Visions Will Determine Israel’s Future
Israel is a success story on many levels — social, economic, scientific, and in terms of protecting its security. Nevertheless, many of its citizens see the country as treading water. What is the source of this dissonance? In Israel’s cultural war, one community’s dream is another community’s nightmare. But if we are capable of pushing…
-
Opinion Are Ultra-Orthodox Yeshivas Bad For Democracy?
Welcome back to Jane Looking Forward. If you wish to continue reading this weekly newsletter, please subscribe here. And spread the word! When I worked at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia a decade ago, I delighted in giving tours around the permanent exhibition, especially the part that highlighted the different things a U.S. citizen…
-
News Ultra-Orthodox Rejoice After Lawmaker Forces New York To Relax Yeshiva Rules
Through the extreme efforts of a rogue lawmaker who held the entire state budget hostage, New York’s powerful Hasidic groups may have found a way to derail a movement to force them to improve the secular education they give their children. A provision forced into New York state’s budget by Simcha Felder, and supported by…
-
News Ultra-Orthodox Anti-Vaxxers Push Yeshivas To Admit Unvaccinated Students
Jews have been associated with the medical profession for more than 1,000 years. The “physician’s prayer,” which decorates the walls of countless doctors of all faiths, is popularly believed to have been written by Maimonides, a 12th-century rabbi. Five hundred years ago, Jews comprised half the doctors in Europe and less than 1% of the…
-
Community The Mystical Reason Jews Rush To Get Married Before Passover
It is definitely that time of year again. Aside from receiving numerous envelopes which ominously read “Important Tax Document Enclosed,” the typical ultra-Orthodox Jewish mailbox is filed with an equally anxiety-producing sort of correspondence this time of year: A deluge of wedding invitations. Since the beginning of February, my family has received five ivory envelopes…
-
Life Conversations With The Ultra-Orthodox Women Fighting For Their Rights
Knesset member Aliza Lavie is blond, poised — and whip smart. I caught her on her way out of the Knesset after yet another dead-end meeting with its ultra-Orthodox members, discussing women’s rights. “Ultra-Orthodox parties are taking women backwards. Everything I try to do, they block,” she said, her voice rising with frustration. “Everything I’ve…
-
Community Ultra-Orthodox Legislators Are Weaponizing Torah Study
A version of this story first appeared in +61J, an Australian Jewish publication. How ironic would it be if Netanyahu’s government came to an end not due to his investigations, but as a result of the messy politics of religion and state? This week, representatives of the ultra-Orthodox sector in Knesset staged a coalition crisis…
Most Popular
- 1
Fast Forward Expelled Oberlin Chabad rabbi says he ‘made a mistake’ with explicit social media chats
- 2
Culture Louis Theroux’s Netflix documentary on the manosphere takes a detour into antisemitism
- 3
Fast Forward Illinois primary pits Jewish candidate with deep Israel ties against AIPAC spending
- 4
Opinion Trump has forced an impossible choice on American synagogues amid antisemitic attacks
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward ‘Buffer zones’ come to California, as a lawmaker proposes limiting protests near houses of worship
-
Fast Forward The first and second Jewish mayors of Providence, Rhode Island, just had a shared bar mitzvah
-
Fast Forward ‘Jew-FK Jr.’: Meet the Connecticut dad and children’s book author who won a JFK Jr. lookalike contest
-
Fast Forward Germany pulls support for Israel in ICJ genocide case, battling its own accusations of aiding Israel
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
