Welcome to 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
-
Opinion Orthodox Women Are Dissatisfied And ‘Checking Out.’ Here’s Why.
Across the spectrum of Orthodoxy, some women are “checking out.” Whatever the baseline of a given community, from the most conservative to the most “open,” there are some women who want more: For some, this might mean that they wish their education had enabled them to help their young sons with Torah homework, while others…
-
Life We Prayed On Yom Kippur And Marched For Racial Justice The Next Day
When the March for Racial Justice announced its sister marches on the day following Yom Kippur, several Orthodox Jewish social justice activists decided it was time to speak up, too. Approximately 400 people showed up for the march on Sunday, with a large percentage visibly from Jewish groups including T’ruah, Hitoreri, Zioness Movement, and American…
-
Fast Forward Orthodox Union Protests Non-Kosher NYC Free Lunch Program
The Orthodox Union is urging New York City to arrange for kosher certification of a free school lunch program, which observant Jewish and Muslim students have so far not been able to eat. “The mayor is openly discriminating against students in nonpublic and religious schools,” Orthodox Union CEO Allen Fagin told the New York Daily…
-
Fast Forward Hasidic Bus Ad Compares Women To ‘Ignoramuses’
Advertisements for DvarMalchus.org, a weekly Lubavitch publication based out of Kfar Chabad, were spotted on an Israeli bus today that compared women to ignoramuses. The advertisement said that, according to the Baal Shem Tov, a true leader “awakens the spark of Jewishness of each and everyone in Israel, including simple people, ‘am-haaretz’s (literally, ‘people of…
-
Life The Sukkah Goes From Deluxe To Ultra-Luxe: Flowers, Lattice, Cashmere — And $10,000 Price-Tag
Sukkot was once the holiday of canvas walls (through which you feel every hint of a breeze), construction-paper chains (pray it won’t rain), and thin bamboo mats for ceilings. But like all things these days, from scented candles to gym clothes, sukkahs are going luxe. From walls made entirely of boxwood, to suspended cage-bird lanterns,…
-
Life Return of the Shtiebel: Why Old-School Synagogues Are Making A Comeback
Ridnik. Vorhand. Koshnitz. These names might sound like remote provinces in Ukraine, but they are also the names of Orthodox micro-congregations bustling here on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. They’re referred to as shtieblach (Yiddish for “little houses”), and although many have died out with their congregants, some are making a comeback on the Upper West…
-
Opinion Religious Pluralism Would Spell Disaster For Israel
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, recently penned an open letter to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Haaretz. The letter was entitled “Netanyahu Refuses to Talk to Us. But We American Jews Won’t Be Silenced”, and it was prompted by Netanyahu telling reporters that the non-Orthodox movements are using the Western…
-
News These Orthodox Jews Are Openly Marching Against Trump — Despite Taboo
Donald Trump enjoyed majority support from Orthodox Jews during the election. But a growing number of observant Jews are stepping forward to decry the president — and they are going public with their opposition at this weekend’s nationwide protests against racism. A Facebook group called Torah Trumps Hate, formed days after the election, has mushroomed to…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
Fast Forward Ye debuts ‘Heil Hitler’ music video that includes a sample of a Hitler speech
- 2
Opinion It looks like Israel totally underestimated Trump
- 3
Culture Is Pope Leo Jewish? Ask his distant cousins — like me
- 4
Fast Forward Student suspended for ‘F— the Jews’ video defends himself on antisemitic podcast
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward For the first time since Henry VIII created the role, a Jew will helm Hebrew studies at Cambridge
-
Fast Forward Argentine Supreme Court discovers over 80 boxes of forgotten Nazi documents
-
News In Edan Alexander’s hometown in New Jersey, months of fear and anguish give way to joy and relief
-
Fast Forward What’s next for suspended student who posted ‘F— the Jews’ video? An alt-right media tour
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
