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 Hasidic Rebels Find Home in Brooklyn Chabad Congregation
On a freezing Friday night in Brooklyn, a group of 18 Crown Heights residents scurry through the crowds of Jews leaving synagogue and make their way to a second-story apartment on Rogers Avenue for Shabbat dinner. Inside, hippie art and vintage John Lennon photos share wall space with drawings of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the…
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Fast Forward Orthodox Jew With No ID Must Pay $90 Fine
An Orthodox Jewish man who for religious reasons failed to produce identifying documents to Dutch police will have to pay a $90 fine, a Dutch appeals court ruled. Tuesday’s ruling by the Hague Appeals Court, which is a Dutch Supreme Court, struck down a lower court ruling last year regarding a violation that occurred on…
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Israel News Despite Election Spotlight, Netanyahu May Resist Change in Haredi Draft Exemption
Israel’s recent election was dominated by discusion of how to integrate ultra-Orthodox young men into the military. But Israelis are now facing up to the possibility that in practical terms, nothing will change on this front during the new Knesset session. In the months leading up to the election, as calls grew for an end…
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News Homeless Tent City Meets Suburbia in Orthodox Town
Shortly after being sworn in for his first term in January, Lakewood’s mayor, Albert Akerman, visited “Tent City,” an encampment of about 100 homeless people living in a densely wooded area of township land — a rare slice of open space in the fastest-growing municipality in New Jersey. Akerman, an Orthodox Jew originally from the…
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Fast Forward Dov Hikind Under Fire for Blackface Purim Costume
Orthodox Brooklyn politician Dov Hikind is under fire after dressing as a “black basketball player” for Purim. A New York State Assemblyman who is a leading figure in New York’s Othodox community, Hikind defended his costume. “I can’t imagine anyone getting offended,” Hikind told the New York Observer. “Purim, you know, everything goes and it’s…
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News Ultra-Orthodox Schools Resist Mandate on Vegetables, Fearing Kosher Violation
Getting schoolchildren to eat green vegetables is anything but easy. Getting students in ultra-Orthodox schools to eat these vegetables as part of their school lunch could soon become impossible. Representatives of ultra-Orthodox groups have been petitioning the government, in meetings and through correspondence since last October, to exempt their schools from the legal requirement to…
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Fast Forward Jack Lew’s Lack of Memory About $2M in NYU Loans Irks Republicans
A top Republican senator on Wednesday said he was unsatisfied with U.S. Treasury Secretary nominee Jack Lew’s response to questions about a loan he received from a previous employer and was requesting more information before the Senate committee considering the nomination is asked to vote. Lew received a $1.4 million loan in 2002 as part…
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Opinion Our Search for America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis
Two weeks ago, when the Forward launched its special editorial project America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis, we had no idea what to expect. We asked people of all ages, denominations and backgrounds to nominate a rabbi who has inspired them or who had a profound effect on their lives or in their communities. But would readers…
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