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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Opinion A Kippah on the Head of Israel’s Intelligence Chief
It seemed at first little more than a throwaway line in an otherwise wonkish interview-profile of Israel’s outgoing chief of Military Intelligence, Major General Aviv Kochavi, appearing September 19 in Yediot Aharonot. “In the final days of his term in M.I.,” military correspondent Alex Fishman wrote, “Kochavi finds himself trying to make the case that…
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Fast Forward Orthodox School Evicted in Flashpoint Beit Shemesh
A haredi Orthodox girls school that began operating on one floor of secular school in Beit Shemesh must vacate the building. Under an agreement struck with the Jerusalem District Court, the Mishekenot Da’at school will move out of the second floor of the of the secular Safot VeTarbuyot school and operate out of mobile classrooms…
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Fast Forward Orthodox Slam Supreme Court for Allowing Gay Marriage in More States
Reform and Orthodox groups had opposite takes on the Supreme Court decision not to hear gay marriage cases, effectively extending the right to a majority of the states. “The Supreme Court’s decision to leave in place lower court rulings that have the potential to bring marriage equality to more than half of the states is…
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Fast Forward Observant Teens Less Likely To Commit Suicide
Religious Jewish teens are far less likely to attempt suicide than their secular Jewish counterparts, a new study finds. The study, led by researchers from Tel Aviv University’s Sackler School of Medicine and Clalit Health Service’s Geha Mental Health Center, and published last week in the journal European Psychology, bolsters previous research that religious faith…
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News Why Rabbi Ysoscher Katz Left Satmars for Progressive Start-Up Synagogue
This article originally appeared in the Yiddish Forverts. He grew up among the ultra-Orthodox Satmar Jews in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, in a childhood with rules so strict that playing Frisbee at summer camp was considered a radical move. Today he serves as the spiritual leader of a small, relatively young, progressive Orthodox synagogue…
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Opinion Haredim and Hollywood
We never thought we’d say this, but there is a dangerous similarity between children raised in the wealthy, sun-soaked Los Angeles enclave of Westside and children whose families follow an ultra-Orthodox rabbi who runs a prominent yeshiva in Philadelphia. Both are victims of their parents’ misguided decision to bypass science and civics by ignoring the…
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Opinion When Will Orthodoxy Be Ready for Me?
Ultra-Orthodox Jews protest at Jerusalem’s gay pride parade / Getty Images I’ve written about the successes and shortcomings of my fourteen years of Modern Orthodox day school education before, from religious, secular, and Zionist perspectives. I’ve also written about the thought processes behind my decisions to leave the Modern Orthodox world and join — at…
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Fast Forward Los Angeles Orthodox Synagogue Plans To Hire Woman as Maharat
Congregation B’nai David-Judea, an Orthodox synagogue in Los Angeles, is planning to hire its first female clergy member by September, 2015. Such a hire would be a first among Orthodox synagogues in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Jewish Journal reported. The congregation recently retained Alissa Newborn, 25, a student at the New York-based seminary Yeshivat…
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Opinion I spoke out against Mamdani. Then he won. Here’s how we walk forward together.
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News Indiana University removed its Jewish studies director. His replacement has ignited a firestorm over Israel.
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Fast Forward Groundbreaking analysis of Hitler’s DNA shows no Jewish ancestry — but finds a genetic disorder
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Culture Is the movie ‘Nuremberg’ about the wrong psychiatrist?
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Fast Forward He was Zohran Mamdani’s Jewish wingman. What’s next for Brad Lander?
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Fast Forward Is dining-hall matzah ‘DEI’? The answer isn’t clear to UVA’s pushed-out ex-president.
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Fast Forward Following uproar, IDF cantor to perform at Amsterdam Hanukkah concert after all — but not for everyone
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Opinion Israel deported me for helping West Bank Palestinians. I won’t give up on a peaceful future for the country I love
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