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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The Schmooze New York Rabbi Sues Army Over Beard Ruling
Has the U.S. Army set a double standard by refusing to allow an Orthodox rabbi to serve as a chaplain because he won’t shave his beard? Menachem Stern’s lawyers think so. Attorneys Nathan and Alyza D. Lewin told the Washington Post that the Army “has granted a waiver to two Sikh captains and an enlisted…
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The Schmooze Shyne On: Rapper Shyne Talks About His Prison Stint and Becoming a Hasidic Jew
Jewish-born hip hop star Shyne tells the Forward that he spent his nine-year prison stint “wrapping tefillin.” Could he soon be rapping about tefillin? Freed from U.S. detention 15 months ago for injuring three people when he opened fire in a Manhattan nightclub in 1999, the 34-year-old Belize native now resides in Jerusalem as Moses…
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The Schmooze Orthodox Couple Flip Their Wig on ‘People’s Court’
Talk about wigging out. A young Orthodox couple took their grievance to television’s “People’s Court” after a dry cleaner allegedly washed — and ruined — the woman’s $3,000 human-hair wig, the blog FailedMessiah reported. But if “Heidi and Mendi” were as shocked as they claimed when the sheitel came back looking mangy, they must have…
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The Schmooze Gay Orthodox Jews Say ‘It Gets Better’
Check out this video, the latest in the “It Gets Better” installments against anti-gay bullying. This one, a collaboration between JQYouth and the The Gay and Lesbian Yeshiva Day School Alumni Association, features gay Orthodox Jews discussing their experiences growing up and telling how life ultimately gets better.
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The Schmooze Puff Daddy Protégé Prays at the Western Wall
Moses Levi wasn’t always an Orthodox Jew living in Jerusalem. Just last year, the 32-year-old Belize born rapper finished serving a nearly 10-year prison sentence for a 1999 shooting incident that took place in a New York City bar and involved Sean Combs, then known as Puff Daddy — his former mentor — and Jennifer…
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News Despite the Cacophony, Orthodox Voters Have Faith
BORO PARK, BROOKLYN — On election day in this ultra-Orthodox Jewish enclave, the sound of trucks can’t be ignored. On 12th Avenue, a Chevy Aveo with speakers taped to its roof calls in Yiddish for voters to support New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino. On 48th Street, a Budget rental truck promotes Eric Schneiderman,…
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The Schmooze Does the German Government Like Some Jews Better Than Others?
With all of the painful history involved, the relationship between the German government and the country’s 12,000 Jews is never simple. Right now, the German Jewish community is up in arms over the government’s apparent discrimination against Orthodox Jews. Germany currently subsidizes the training of Liberal rabbis — the European incarnation of Reform Judaism —…
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The Schmooze Orthodox Jews Fight Proposed Niqab Ban in Quebec
The Orthodox community in Quebec is fighting for Muslim women’s right to wear the niqab. Convinced that a bill to ban the Islamic face veil, if passed, could ultimately lead to the outlawing of Jewish religious practices and customs, they made an unprecedented appearance in front of the National Assembly committee considering the legislation. The…
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