Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of the robust lives of American Jews. Here there’s a little of everything about the multifaceted world of Jewish life. There are light-hearted Jewish celebrity stories and shocking Jewish celebrity news. Food is also plentiful,…
Life
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The Prayer For My Mother That Made Me A Better Man
I am not a Jew who prays three times a day, in the morning, afternoon and evening as proscribed by Jewish law. Not like my wife’s four religious cousins who live with their large families in Israel. Not even like my Modern Orthodox brother in Jerusalem, who often dons a baseball cap and finds time…
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When ‘Over-Sharing’ On Social Media Is A Good Thing
Everyone who follows me on Instagram thinks my life is perfect. But I have ups and downs like everyone else, I just rarely revealed the “downs” on social media. Recently, I suffered from an ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when the embryo implants in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. Thankfully, the doctor discovered it…
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Judaism Needs to Be Kinder to Transgender People
Leah came out as transgender long before she thought about converting to Judaism. As a trans woman with a Jewish father, she was befriended by some Orthodox Jews at her college. “They treated me like one of their own and helped me not feel the all-encompassing isolation that my formative years had graced me with.”…
The Latest
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Jewish-Owned Beauty Bar Chain Blushington Promises A Luxe Makeover For Less
It was a cold and dreary morning when I bumbled, disheveled and harried, into the Upper East Side location of Blushington — a beauty bar chain founded by Stephi Maron which aims to make makeup application accessible in a luxurious, highly curated format. “It takes the guesswork out of shopping,” explains Jessica Hill, the regional…
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As An Immigrant Kid, I Got Schooled The Hard Way
Two things happened to me in first grade. Number one: I was minding my own seven-year-old business when a girl spit at me during recess. Number two, which took place right after that: my parents yanked me out of public school. It was 1968 and I’d recently been yanked from my home in Buenos Aires,…
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Yes, Marijuana Is Kosher — No Matter What Jeff Sessions Says
Republicans and Democrats alike are in a panic after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Trump administration’s plan to renew tough enforcement of federal marijuana laws, rescinding an Obama administration directive that effectively decriminalized marijuana in states that have legalized the drug. Meanwhile, at the state level and among the American people, marijuana continues to…
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Why Orthodox Women Get Blind Drunk Way More Than You Think
As Rachel stumbled up the stairs to her parents’ house in Midwood, I hid behind the taxi’s half-closed tinted windows, hoping that her ultra-Orthodox father didn’t see me. He probably would have suspected the worst. We hadn’t fooled around but it was just as bad: Rachel had gotten dangerously drunk. I’d gone out with some…
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How to Honeymoon in Israel — Yes, Israel
When thinking of romantic honeymoon destinations, Israel may not be the first choice that comes to mind. But for Stephanie and Daniel Perri of Houston, Texas, Jerusalem was the perfect choice. “Daniel isn’t Jewish, and I am,” Stephanie says. “We went to both the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and I…
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When ‘Nice Jewish Boy’ Is Little More Than A Sexist Code Word
I never considered the phrase “Nice Jewish Boy” a problem until I started dating. After all, the phrase “Nice Jewish Boy” (NJB) has been around for awhile, referring to a sweet, mensch-like guy who dotes on his mother and goes around running errands for the community, all the while maintaining a pleasant punim. These days…
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The Making of Middle East Citizen Journalists
Even after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and ignited protests throughout the Middle East, 21-year-old Nourjahen J. didn’t feel afraid, but empowered. The student and human rights activist in Tunisia is blogging and posting her truth on social media. “You cannot say that Israel doesn’t exist,’” Nourjahen tells protesters. “’You cannot say…
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Our Hope For The New Year: A Healthy Baby
My wife and I imagined that we’d be celebrating New Year’s very quietly, at home. She’d be 36 weeks pregnant with our second child — a month till our baby’s due date — and, we assumed, she’d be exhausted. We hadn’t made it to 36 weeks with our first: Four years ago he was born…
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