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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Opinion Let’s Talk About Not Having Sex
I believe in abstinence, at least personally, and I believe in Jewish law. So it makes sense to me that a Jewish organization that promotes both Jewish law and abstinence would create a website dedicated to teenagers and sex. That organization, the National Conference of Synagogue Youth, is the Orthodox Union’s youth movement, and the…
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Fast Forward Rabbi Steven Greenberg Talks About Being Orthodox and Gay
Amalia, two and a half years old, has an abundance of self-confidence and a winning smile. Her parents, Orthodox rabbi Steven Greenberg, 57, and actor and opera singer Steven Goldstein, wed last year in a civil ceremony in New York, while holding the toddler in their arms. A few weeks ago, Greenberg and his family…
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Life Pulling the Curtain Back on ‘Just Married’
Our six month anniversary was a couple of weeks ago, and I think I’ll take this time to reflect on this blog: how it began, how it’s affected Jeremy and me, and why I do it. Writing this blog was a no-brainer. In fact, as I had already been blogging for the Forward about our…
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News The Ultra-Orthodox Threat; A Classic Williamsburg Hat Store; 125 Years of Katz’s Deli
In this week’s Reporters Roundtable podcast, host Josh Nathan-Kazis is joined by Forward contributor Jay Michaelson to talk about his recent, controversial piece on Jewish fundamentalism and the ultra-Orthodox. Then, Nate Lavey drops by to discuss his video on a classic Brooklyn hat store and their century-old equipment. Finally, Susan Armitage gives a brief history…
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Life Q&A With A Modern Day Matchmaker
Rachel Garfinkle, 29, an ultra-Orthodox stay-at-home mom in Cleveland, Ohio, was married to her husband Michael in 2003. Her cousin, who also happened to be Michael’s best friend, set them up. As the norm goes in her community, they were married after five dates. Since then, Garfinkle has looked for opportunities to make matches for…
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News Fast-Growing Chabad Asks: Who Will Be Leader for Next Generation?
The top echelons of the Chabad movement are on the verge of a once-in-a-generation leadership transition. The Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement never replaced its spiritual leader, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, after he died in 1994 at the age of 92. Yet a coterie of gray-bearded rabbis picked by Schneerson continues to run the movement from its headquarters…
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Opinion A Woman’s Place is at Prayer — at Kotel or Upper West Side
Nearly 20 years ago I was living on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a haven for observant Conservative Jews. I had my choice of multiple minyanim to attend; even the crowded weekend city streets had an air of the Sabbath, and kosher food abounded. There were so many Conservative and egalitarian options that I rarely ventured…
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Israel News Israel Chips Away at Orthodox Monopoly on Marriage
The Israeli government has taken a major step in its effort to weaken Haredi control over marriages within the country’s mainstream population. Under a landmark reform, announced by the Ministry of Religious Services on May 19, local marriage registrars affiliated with the government-sponsored Chief Rabbinate will no longer have an exclusive monopoly over registering the…
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