Welcome to the Forward’s insightful posts and articles covering all things Jewish, from culture and traditions to history, faith and contemporary Jewish life.
Jewish
The Latest
-
Fast Forward More Than Half Of New Immigrants To Israel In 2018 Were Not Considered Jewish
JERUSALEM (JTA) — More than half of the immigrants to Israel in 2018 were not recognized as Jewish under religious law. According to end of the year data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics, of the 30,300 immigrants who arrived in Israel last year under the Law of Return, some 12,600 were recognized as…
-
Opinion Bernie Sanders Isn’t Just Another White Male Candidate. His Nomination Would Be Historic.
The 2020 Democratic primary will likely offer the most diverse field of candidates either party has ever put forward for the presidency. At least four serious African-American contenders (Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Andrew Gillum, and Eric Holder) have been floated so far, as have at least four women (Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, and…
-
News The Rise And Fall And Rise Of Jewish Comedian Leah Forster
Leah Forster is the Orthodox world’s favorite lesbian Jewish comedian. Admittedly, there’s not much competition for that title. But for nearly a decade, Forster was one of the most popular entertainers in the community, until she walked away from the business and her strict ultra-observant lifestyle. Now she’s making a comeback in both the religious…
-
Opinion No, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Did Not Sin Against The Memory Of The Holocaust
Regular comparisons of today’s persecutions to the Holocaust rightly rankle those of us who lost family as a result of the Nazi attempt to annihilate European Jewry. Whether it’s Louis Farrakhan’s assertion that blacks have suffered a “holocaust 100 times worse” than what the Jews faced during World War II, or PETA’s impressively tone-deaf “Holocaust…
-
The Schmooze William Shatner Is Nostalgic For His Childhood Hanukkahs
Do you remember the smell of the first latkes of the season in your childhood home? David Anton’s upcoming PBS documentary is all about the Chanukah. The movie dives into the history of the holiday’s celebration and the rise of its beloved traditions. The film, aptly titled Hanukkah: A Festival of DeLights, interviews Jewish historians,…
-
Opinion Israelis Are Divided Over Whether They Are ‘Jewish’ Or ‘Israeli.’
By now it’s accepted that the American Jewish community and Israel are in crisis mode. Once bound by the tightest of familial bonds, the two communities have grown ever apart, leading to much hand-wringing. The cause of the crisis is generally chalked up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies – his embrace of the…
-
Opinion Explainer: Is Israel A Democracy?
Should we be concerned about the state of Israeli democracy? Recent worrying events have included the passage of a Nation-State, as well as prime ministerial efforts to corral the press and ongoing campaigns to limit judicial independence. But are these signs that democracy and civil liberties in the Jewish proposed? What Is a Democracy? To…
-
Opinion So-Called ‘Jews Of No Religion’ Are The Impetus For A Jewish Revolution
It wasn’t just the growth of intermarriage, you know. Or the dramatically shrinking Conservative movement. Or the fact that non-Orthodox Jews were having fewer and fewer children. The real dismaying headline of the Pew Research Center’s Portrait of Jewish Americans,, which this October will have been released five years ago, was the finding that young…
Most Popular
- 1
Fast Forward ‘Rabbi rebellion’: 33 Orthodox rabbis endorse Harris
- 2
Opinion I was a Bernie supporter. This year, I’m voting Trump. Here’s why liberal Jews like me made the switch
- 3
Opinion Here’s why Orthodox Jews are loyal to Trump — even if they don’t love him
- 4
FIRST PERSON As a rabbi, he helped others mourn. So why wouldn’t his daughter say kaddish for him?
In Case You Missed It
-
News Who will shape policy toward Israel in a second Trump administration?
-
Fast Forward Donald Trump thanked a ‘historic coalition’ for his election. He didn’t include Jews.
-
News ‘If Kamala had chosen Josh Shapiro’: Some Democrats wonder if it would have made a difference to have the Jewish governor of PA on the ticket
-
News Analysis Gaza didn’t cost Harris the election. But her approach pointed to a broader problem
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism