This is the Forward’s coverage of rabbis, the spiritual leaders of Jewish congregations.
Rabbis
The Latest
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Fast Forward Chabad Rabbi Shot in Dagestan Taken to Israel for Treatment
The Foverts has learned that Rabbi Ovadia Isakov, the Chabad emissary who was critically wounded in the southern Russian Republic of Dagestan, was brought Thursday to Israel for medical treatment, according to the chief rabbi of the Russian military, Aharon Gurevich. A group of Israeli doctors arrived in Dagestan on a specialized medical airplane Thursday…
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Fast Forward Chabad Rabbi Clings to Life After Shooting in Russia’s Dagestan Province
The rabbi of a Chabad center in the southern Russian state of Dagestan was shot in the chest Thursday as he was leaving his car. He was hospitalized in critical condition and is fighting for his life, the Lubavitch movement’s Col website reported. An unknown assailant opened fire on Rabbi Ovadia Eisekoff, an emissary in…
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Fast Forward David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef Elected New Israeli Chief Rabbis
A special electoral assembly on Wednesday elected Sephardi Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau as Israel’s next chief rabbis, after weeks of a controversial and tense candidacy period. The two chief rabbis will hold office for the next decade. Both are sons of former chief rabbis: Yosef’s father is Shas spiritual leader Ovadia…
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Fast Forward Israeli Chief Rabbis To Be Elected Today
The two new chief rabbis of Israel will be elected in Jerusalem Wednesday by 150 electors. The rabbis will hold office for the next decade. Among those electing the rabbis, one Ashkenazi and one Sephardi, will be cabinet ministers, MKs, rabbis, mayors, religious court judges, heads of local religious councils and representatives of the general…
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Opinion Extortion Common in Israel Divorces: Study
Israel’s rabbinical establishment has responded to a worrying survey pointing to the widespread extortion by husbands whose wives want divorces. And instead of moving to stop the phenomenon, it has simply attacked the survey — conducted by one of Israel’s largest polling firms commissioned by a major university. For Israel’s Jewish population, all marriage-related matters…
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News New Generation of Transgender Rabbis Ties Jewish Practice and Gender Change
In the next few years, the number of transgender rabbis in America is expected to double — from three to six. The tiny cohort makes up a miniscule percentage of the rabbis graduating rabbinical school, but these individuals have already played a big role in their respective seminaries to provoke conversations about gender and Judaism….
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Fast Forward ‘Racist’ Rabbi Urged To Drop Sephardic Bid
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein informed Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu on Monday evening that it would be inappropriate for him to run for the post of Sephardi chief rabbi, in light of certain contentious remarks and the “legal difficulties” posed by his candidacy. Eliyahu, the current chief rabbi of Safed and the son of former Sephardi Chief…
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News First Generation of Transgender Rabbis Claims Place at Bimah
When it comes to the acceptance of transgender Jews, the American Jewish community is itself in a moment of transition. In 2008, Joy Ladin became the public face of transgender Judaism when she transitioned from male to female after receiving tenure at Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women. Five years later, there are at least…
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Fast Forward DNC finding: Biden’s Israel backing cost Harris votes for president
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Opinion The dark message behind Tucker Carlson’s attempt to drum up drama in Israel
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Fast Forward Conservative rabbinical school Ziegler stops admissions, signaling broader overhaul
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Fast Forward This Jewish family’s toy company challenged Trump’s tariffs. The Supreme Court agreed.
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Film & TV A compelling horror series from Israel — even if you don’t like horror movies
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Fast Forward Why was Tucker Carlson pushing for DNA testing for Jews? What to know about the ‘Khazar’ theory that antisemites can’t shake.
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