Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of rabbis, the spiritual leaders of Jewish congregations.
Rabbis
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Opinion The 21st-Century Rabbi
In Israel, there’s a fierce campaign being waged over control of the Chief Rabbinate, a powerful institution that regulates the lives of Israeli Jews from birth to death and a great deal in between. In Great Britain, the newly appointed chief rabbi is faced with proving to a skeptical Jewish community that his role is…
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Fast Forward Rabbis Changed Prayers To Make Barack Obama’s Inaugural Service ‘Jew-ier’
Preaching to a preacher man – or woman – doesn’t always play out as planned. That’s the lesson learned this week by officials at the National Cathedral after several clergy, including three rabbis, made impromptu changes to the readings they were given to deliver at a prayer service following the Jan. 22 inauguration of President…
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Israel News Rabbis for Human Rights Splits From Israel Group Amid Disagreements
The Israeli organization Rabbis for Human Rights and its American support group are parting ways, largely due to a disagreement over the American group’s desire to address human rights issues beyond Israel. In a January 15 press release, Rabbis for Human Rights-North America announced that it will now be known as T’ruah: The Rabbinical Call…
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Fast Forward Rabbi’s Car Stolen — With $30K Torah Scroll Inside
Thieves stole a Brooklyn rabbi’s car, with his synagogue’s $30,000 Torah scroll stashed in the trunk. Luckily, the joy-riders were more interested in a free ride than religious edification, and never touched the holy book, which was found untouched when the car was recovered by cops, the New York Post reported. “I cannot forgive myself….
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Opinion Israel’s Other Impending Election
While attention remains focused on the election of a new Knesset and the formation of a new government, the battle over another election — for Israel’s Chief Rabbinate — is just heating up. These elections, too, have far-reaching ramifications for the American Jewish community and for the well-being of Israel. In recent decades, the well-organized…
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Fast Forward Finland Has New Israeli-Born Chief Rabbi
Finland’s new chief rabbi is Simon Livson, the 30 year-old Israeli born son of Finns. Livson was officially installed as chief rabbi on Jan. 13, taking over from Rabbi Moshe Edelman. Livson, who describes himself as modern-Orthodox, immigrated to Finland in 1989 when his parents returned to their country of origin and its Jewish community,…
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News Orthodox Woman Picked To Lead L.A. Rabbinic School
In what may be a worldwide first, a rabbinical school has hired an Orthodox woman as its top official. The Academy for Jewish Religion, California, a small non-denominational Jewish seminary in Los Angeles, selected Tamar Frankiel as its new president effective this month. Frankiel, who is Orthodox, was previously the school’s provost. Orthodox communities don’t…
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Culture Jonathan Sacks Offers Strident Defense of Faith
The Great Partnership: Science, Religion, and the Search for Meaning By Jonathan Sacks Doubleday, 384 pages, $28.95 Jonathan Sacks, whose long tenure as chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Great Britain and the Commonwealth expires in March, when he turns 65, has for decades been an inspiration to many Modern Orthodox Jews, who…
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Opinion A Palestinian leader just gave Trump an unprecedented opening to pursue peace
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Fast Forward NIH bans grants for schools that boycott Israeli companies
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Fast Forward An elite Jewish society at Yale fractures over its director’s embrace of Itamar Ben-Gvir
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Fast Forward After outcry, Cornell president cancels pro-Palestinian performer chosen for campus concert
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