Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of rabbis, the spiritual leaders of Jewish congregations.
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The Latest
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News In California, rabbis ask why clergy aren’t in first — or second, or third — group for COVID-19 vaccination
As tens of thousands of vaccines are distributed to healthcare workers and the elderly across Los Angeles County, faith leaders are not in either of the top tiers, keeping them sidelined as the pandemic worsens through the winter months. “I’m baffled,” said Rabbi Elazar Muskin, who leads Young Israel of Century City, an Orthodox synagogue…
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Community This Hanukkah, we have to embrace both darkness and light
It has been one of most traumatic weeks in the history of our country. Celebrating and singing Hanukkah songs seems somewhat of a farce when ICUs are nearly full; mental health clinics overrun from those suffering with anxiety and suicidal ideation. This is the first time in which embracing the light has been difficult and…
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News Wanted: Rabbi. Ten gallon hat optional.
When Cheyenne, Wyoming’s only synagogue began its nationwide search for a religious leader to replace its beloved rabbi, Larry Moldo, who passed away last year, some of the applications that came in were…interesting. In addition to the 22 or so resumes from qualified rabbis, rabbinical students and cantors, came resumes from a forklift operator, a…
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News LGBTQ leaders respond to SCOTUS attack on marriage equality
A statement penned by two Supreme Court justices has set off alarms among LGBTQ+ rights activists. The statement, signed by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, attacked and criticized Obergefell v Hodges, the 2015 landmark Supreme Court decision allowing same-sex marriage. “Due to Obergefell,” Justice Thomas wrote, “those with sincerely held religious beliefs concerning marriage…
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Community This year for the High Holidays, female faces filled my screen
My late father, Rabbi Wolfe Kelman, would often tell the story of a Hasidic rabbi, the Kotzker Rebbe, who wanted to give the Almighty a blessing. Instead of constantly asking for blessings, this rebbe felt it was time to give God some comfort, too. But what blessing could a human possibly offer the divine? Certainly…
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News Why I’m leaving The Forward to become a rabbi
My grandparents were concerned for my safety amidst a steady rise in attacks. My parents worried about long hours with little gratitude. My brother warned of trends indicating I was entering an unstable and shrinking job market. I decided to become a journalist anyway. Working at The Forward was the fulfillment of a childhood dream,…
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Fast Forward When it comes to rabbis scheduled to speak, it’s DNC 2, RNC 0
The Democratic National Convention last week prominently featured not just one, but two rabbis. But so far, no rabbinic representation has been announced in the publicly-available schedule for the Republican National Convention, which began Monday morning. The absence this year is conspicuous as Republican leaders hope to lean on the Trump administration’s pro-Israel policies in…
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Life My rabbi went to a sex party. Should I tell the Board?
From its start in 1906, A Bintel Brief was a pillar of the Forward, helping generations of Jewish immigrants learn how to be American. Now our columnists are helping people navigate the complexities of being Jewish in 2020. Send questions to [email protected]. Dear Bintel, A few months ago, right before the widespread concerns about indoor…
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Music In 1964, when he was just 23, Bob Dylan wrote the prophetic anthem that encapsulates Trump’s America
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Fast Forward What does the election of Mark Carney mean for Canadian Jews and Israel?
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News State Department plan to deport ‘pro-Hamas’ students relies on a 1952 law that targeted Jews
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News Jewish groups targeted Columbia grad Mahmoud Khalil — then ICE arrested him
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Opinion How to navigate the Court of Trump? Esther’s pragmatism vs. Vashti’s principles
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News Antisemitic and racist shock jock is back on the radio, 11 years after being fired for tirade
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