This is the Forward’s coverage of rabbis, the spiritual leaders of Jewish congregations.
Rabbis
The Latest
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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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Culture It’s Not Easy Being a ‘Rabbi’s Daughter’
When we think of children who carry the burden of having famous parents, we often think of the offspring of movie stars or politicians. But in the Religious Zionist sector of Israeli society, being the child of a prominent rabbi comes with some very heavy baggage. Filmmaker Racheli Wasserman, herself the daughter of such a…
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Israel News Rabbis for Human Rights Splits From Israel Group
Rabbis for Human Rights North America, which began as a support group for the Israel-based Rabbis for Human Rights, is parting ways with its Israeli counterpart. In a January 15 press release, the North American group announced it will now be known as T’ruah: The Rabbinical Call for Human Rights, thereby ending organizational and fundraising…
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Fast Forward Ovadia Yosef, Sephardic Leader, Suffers Minor Stroke
An Israeli rabbi who is the spiritual head of a powerful ultra-Orthodox political party was taken to hospital with a suspected minor stroke on Saturday, 10 days before a general election. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who has largely set the terms under which his Shas party has agreed to join a succession of governments, was taken…
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Fast Forward Hollande Meets With Chief Rabbi on Gay Marriage
French President Francois Hollande met with local religious leaders, including the country’s chief rabbi, Gilles Bernheim, to hear their views on same-sex marriages. Tuesday’s meeting at the Elysee Palace, the official presidential residence, was held days before a planned demonstration against a draft law unveiled in November by France’s Socialist government that would allow gay…
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