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
The Latest
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Fast Forward Medical Marijuana Gets Blessing of Orthodox Rabbi — But Don’t Get High
An Israeli Orthodox rabbi ruled that distributing and smoking medicinal marijuana are kosher, but using weed for fun was “forbidden.” Efraim Zalmanovich, the rabbi of Mazkeret Batia, a town south of Tel Aviv, made the distinction in a recent halakhic ruling, NRG, the news site of the Maariv daily reported on Friday. Leading rabbis frequently…
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Fast Forward British Orthodox Jews Will Help Protect Mosque
An Orthodox Jewish patrol group in London said it would protect a mosque after a rise in hate crimes against Muslims. The Shomrim patrol group accepted a request for protection by the North London Community Centre in Cazenove Road, an Islamic institution situated in the heavily-Jewish Borough of Hackney in northern London. The deal was…
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Fast Forward Chief Rabbi Candidate David Stav Lashes Back at Ultra-Orthodox
David Stav has based his campaign to become Israel’s next Ashkenazi chief rabbi on a message of inclusion, friendliness and tolerance. But in an exclusive interview with JTA, he spoke harsh words against those who have attacked him in recent weeks. The attacks began two Saturday nights ago, when Rabbi Ovadia Yosef used his weekly…
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Life Orthodox, Married — and For Gay Marriage
As an Orthodox Jew, the first time I ever seriously questioned the validity and applicability of the Torah — indeed, perhaps the only time — was when I thought deeply about the issue of homosexuality. I believe that the Bible comes from God, and I believe in the commandments within. However, I also believe that…
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Opinion Women’s Prayer Protests at Western Wall Are Just Childish Provocation
I am, in my religious behavior, somewhere between what Israelis would call a hiloni or “secular” Jew and a masorti or “traditional” one. My wife and I light candles on Shabbat, we celebrate the Jewish holidays with our children and grandchildren, and now and then, for one reason or another, I find myself in a…
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Opinion Kotel Struggle a Civil Rights Battle for Jews
Fifty years ago civil rights activists staged a sit-in at the lunch counter of Woolworth’s in Jackson Mississippi to protest the segregated seating which existed, mandating separate areas for black and white patrons. Young students from nearby Tougaloo College, both black and white, sat together at the “whites only” counter, waiting futilely to be served….
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Fast Forward Chabad Rabbi Sorry for Suggesting Australian Boys Agreed to Sex Abuse
The Chabad rabbi at the center of a scandal surrounding his views on allegations of child sex abuse in Sydney two decades ago has apologized. Rabbi Baruch Lesches, who now runs the Lubavitch community in Monsey, N.Y., issued a statement Monday saying he “deeply regretted” comments attributed to him in news reports Sunday and stressed…
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News Aiming To Aid Orthodox, Tax Plan Would Extend Credit for Large Families
A new tax proposal submitted to Congress could bring new federal subsidies to poor Orthodox Jewish families with four or more children. The bill, introduced in early June by Democratic New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, would extend the Earned Income Tax Credit, a tax subsidy for poor families. The current program provides larger benefits for…
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