Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of rabbis, the spiritual leaders of Jewish congregations.
Rabbis
The Latest
-
Fast Forward Prominent New Haven Rabbi Who Was Police Chief Accused of Sex Abuse
A former police commissioner in New Haven, Connecticut, who became a rabbi is accused of sexually abusing a teenager in his care from 2001 to 2005, according to a federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday. Daniel Greer, a well-known member of New Haven’s Orthodox Jewish community, is accused of sexually abusing Eliyahu Mirlis over three years…
-
Fast Forward Rabbi Marc Schneier Set To Quit Pulpit Amid More Divorce Drama
Rabbi Marc Schneier, one of New York’s higher-profile spiritual leaders, is resigning from The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach after 26 years. In a letter emailed to congregants earlier this month, Schneier, 57, went public with his decision to step down this summer from the Orthodox synagogue he founded. In the letter, the rabbi said…
-
Fast Forward Top Conservative Rabbi Quits Synagogue, Citing ‘Sexual Identity’
The president of the Conservative Jewish movement’s rabbinical arm left his post as the rabbi of a Dallas synagogue, citing apparent marital infidelity and questions about his sexuality. “I am very saddened to admit, both to you and to myself, that even as I strove to be present in the lives of so many people,…
-
Fast Forward Polish Fake Rabbi Disappears After Being Exposed as Catholic
A man who for several years served as a rabbi for a Polish Jewish community has pulled a disappearing act after it was revealed that he is actually a Catholic former chef. The man, who went by the names Jacoob Ben Nistell and Yaakav, claimed to be from Haifa and worked as the rabbi for…
-
Fast Forward New Orleans Rabbi’s Home Destroyed When Passover Cleaning Oven Ignites Blaze
A fire caused by an oven during its self-cleaning cycle in preparation for Passover destroyed the home of a New Orleans rabbi. The fire swept through the home of Rabbi Gabriel Greenberg of the Orthodox Congregation Beth Israel on Tuesday afternoon. No one was injured in the blaze, which caused “substantial” damage, Jefferson Parish East…
-
Fast Forward Fake Polish ‘Rabbi’ Doesn’t Know From Jewish
A local journalist in a western Poland city discovered that the local rabbi is not a rabbi, never lived in Israel, is not familiar with Jewish customs, and does not speak or understand Hebrew. Jacoob Ben Nistell, aka Yaakav – he used different forms of this name, claimed he was from Haifa. Members of the…
-
Fast Forward Russian Chief Rabbi Urges New Push Against Anti-Semitic Hate Speech
Following the dissemination of an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory by a politician from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s party, a chief rabbi of Russia called on the government to stamp out hate speech against Jews. Rabbi Berel Lazar’s appeal Friday to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was in reaction to the April 10 statement on Jews by Vladislav…
-
Fast Forward Top Court: Israel Must Accept Non-Rabbinate Orthodox Conversions
TEL AVIV — Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that the state must recognize Orthodox conversions performed in Israel outside the authority of the Chief Rabbinate. The ruling Thursday means any non-citizen who converts in a private Israeli Orthodox conversion court can gain Israeli citizenship under the country’s Law of Return. Previously, converts could only gain Israeli…
Most Popular
- 1
News Student protesters being deported are not ‘martyrs and heroes,’ says former antisemitism envoy
- 2
News Who is Alan Garber, the Jewish Harvard president who stood up to Trump over antisemitism?
- 3
Fast Forward Suspected arsonist intended to beat Gov. Josh Shapiro with a sledgehammer, investigators say
- 4
Opinion What Jewish university presidents say: Trump is exploiting campus antisemitism, not fighting it
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward Jewish students, alumni decry ‘weaponization of antisemitism’ across country
-
Opinion I first met Netanyahu in 1988. Here’s how he became the most destructive leader in Israel’s history
-
Opinion Why can Harvard stand up to Trump? Because it didn’t give in to pro-Palestinian student protests
-
Culture How an Israeli dance company shaped a Catholic school boy’s life
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism