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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Fast Forward WATCH: The Maccabeats Dropped A Hot New Single…About Prenups?
A popular Jewish pop music group has written a short cheery PSA about a weighty problem in the Orthodox Jewish community: women whose husbands have left them but refuse to give them a proper divorce. In Jewish law, the husband is given absolute authority in the matter of annulling a divorce. If he refuses to…
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News In 100 Days, A New Jewish Elite Rises Under Trump
Among many moves aimed at reversing his predecessor’s policies, President Trump recently decided not to make public the White House visitors logs. Had they been open, the lists would reveal the profound change 100 days of a Trump administration had brought about to the Jewish community’s power structure. “The atmosphere has changed, at least for…
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Community How I Lost My Judaism In Five Somber Nights — And Found It Again My Own Way
Twice in my life did the profound symbiosis of community and Judaism yank me by the beard and bear its inescapable weight. The first time came during my father’s shiva. After four months of communal support during his time in the hospital, the Jews of Englewood, New Jersey, my Jews, multiplied their Samsonian efforts, filling…
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Opinion 5 Perplexing Things About ‘Secular Orthodoxy’
The arrival of Passover brings about the need to outline the guiding principles of what was – and may still be – the largest Jewish denomination in Israel: orthodox secularism. This comes in spite of the fact that over the years this denomination hasn’t bothered others (and for the most part not even its own)…
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Fast Forward Even Israel’s Secular Textbooks Packed With Religion: Survey
Textbooks on secular subjects in Israel are infused with religious Jewish content, according to a review of 80 books published in the past 10 years conducted by the Israeli parents group the Secular Forum, reported Haaretz. The group called the use of religious themes to explain secular subjects a “systematic and ideological move” to “reshape…
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Community Mitzvah-Lite: What We Miss When We Only Follow “Moral” Commandments
A version of this article originally appeared in the Texas Jewish Post. The man sitting across from me at the pizza shop was a religiously liberal individual for sure — but also very much a person who wore his Judaism on his sleeve and whose life was dedicated to promoting Jewish values as he understood…
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Fast Forward Orthodox British Mayoral Candidate Sorry For Burning New Testament
(JTA) — A far right-wing Orthodox candidate for mayor of the British city of Manchester apologized after burning what he called a “missionary bible” and posting images of it on social media. Shneur Odze, who is a candidate for the right-wing populist UK Independence Party, or UKIP, on the eve of Passover found the Hebrew-language…
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Culture Read The Groundbreaking Orthodox Film Story That’s Now An Award Finalist
Editor’s Note: Simi Horwitz’s stories on the Orthodox world have been named a finalist in the prestigious Deadline Club awards. Read her complete story of Orthodox women filmmakers here. The Haredi world is generally viewed as an insular patriarchal community that shuns movies. Virtually nobody owns a TV. Still, a fledgling, shadow film industry has…
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