This is the Forward’s coverage of Orthodox Judaism, which aims for a stricter observance of halachic law than Conservative or Reform Judaism. It includes Modern Orthodox Judaism, as well as Haredi (sometimes called ultra-Orthodox) Judaism,…
Orthodox Judaism
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News Uganda’s Century-Old Jewish Community Riven by Sectarian Divide
(JTA) — On Fridays at sundown, the Jewish residents of this village set amid the lush hills of eastern Uganda gather in the synagogue to greet Shabbat. The room is bare, the light is dim and the Conservative prayer books are worn. But the spare surroundings do little to diminish the enthusiasm of the men,…
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News The Father-and-Son Rabbis Who Inspire One Another — and Grandma Too
Aaron Fink likes to tell an anecdote about his oldest son: When Eliyahu Fink was in grade school, he discovered an error in ‘The Little Midrash Says,’ a children’s book about weekly Torah portions. The precocious child sent a handwritten letter to the author, asking him why he apparently confused the dates on which God…
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Life Why Rabbis Must Talk to Orthodox Boys About Masturbation
Thinkstock Orthodox Jews often make poor decisions when talking about sex with young people, particularly regarding discussing (or not discussing) nocturnal emissions and masturbation with boys. I recently attended a question and answer session at an Orthodox institution in which a rabbi was asked how and when, if at all, a Jewish father should talk…
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Fast Forward Shalom Lamm Says ‘Faith in America Is Shaken’ After Bloomingburg Vote Debacle
Shalom Lamm, the Orthodox developer behind a controversial project in the upstate New York village of Bloomingburg, has denounced a local election after his right to vote in the hamlet was challenged along with more than 100 other voters. Incumbent Mayor Mark Berentsen, who backs Lamm’s plans for a 396-home development marketed at Hasidic Jews,…
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Opinion Did Israeli Conversions Just Get a Lot Easier?
Immigrants from the former Soviet Union arrive in Israel. / Getty Images Did you hear about the latest coup for the Reform and Conservative movements in the Knesset? A new piece of legislation that passed the Law Committee today and is ready for voting in a few weeks will apparently bring closer a day when…
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Fast Forward Bloomingburg Mayor Mark Berentsen Who Backs Development Trails by 81-25 Vote
The mayor of a tiny upstate New York village who supports a massive development aimed at Hasidic Jews trails far behind a challenger — although many ballots were challenged and have yet to be counted. Bloomingburg Mayor Mark Berentsen, who backs the sprawling development, got just 25 votes in the election, compared to 81 for…
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Fast Forward Lev Tahor Children May Remain With Parents in Guatemala, Judge Rules
Six children from the haredi Orthodox sect Lev Tahor who fled Canada will be allowed to remain in Guatemala with their parents, but with conditions. Monday’s ruling by a Guatemalan family court judge allows the Lev Tahor members from two families to stay in the Central American country, but they must check in with the…
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Fast Forward Bloomingburg Votes Today Amid Hasidic Development Feud
The upstate New York village of Bloomingburg heads to the polls today for a contentious election that could determine the future of the one-stoplight village. Amid a bitter brawl over a planned 396-home Hasidic development, the election has become a battleground for both the Orthodox developer set on seeing through his large-scale development and fired-up…
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