Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of Ashkenazi Jews, a major Jewish diasporic ethnic group native to Europe.
Ashkenazi Jews
The Latest
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Forverts in English Classic Yiddish holiday tales can provide hope in these dark times
Secular Yiddish children’s literature relayed the political aspirations, values and anxieties of Ashkenazi Jewry during the 20th century
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Food How to make your grandma’s brisket — and make it vegan
Micah Siva talks 'Nosh,' her new cookbook on veggie-centric Jewish food
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Food Pumpkin knishes and spicy pumpkin dip: Jews and pumpkins go back long before Thanksgiving
I love pumpkin. I love it in a sweet dessert, I love it in a savory stew, and — I’m not afraid to say it — I love it in my morning latte. But I’ve never imagined my ancestors who lived in a Belarussian shtetl would have felt the same. Jews, it turns out, were…
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Opinion Ashkenazi Jewish women like me have a higher risk of breast cancer. I didn’t know this until my own diagnosis
Breast cancer can strike any woman at any time, yet few young women are fully aware of the potential deadly threat they face. For Ashkenazi Jews like myself, this disease looms as an even larger threat compared to most women. A mutation in the BRCA gene is the most common cause of hereditary breast cancer….
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Culture They couldn’t find any books on Ashkenazi herbs — so they wrote one
Deatra Cohen was studying to become an herbalist when her teacher assigned what seemed like a straightforward task: researching and reporting on the herbal cures and practices of her own culture. But the project was anything but simple. A retired librarian, Cohen was adept at navigating databases and combing through archives. But she could find…
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Culture How macaroons became a must for Passover — even if no one likes them
I grew up with no macaroons. My mother was raised on almond macaroons that her grandmother made, but the experience was hard to replicate by the time I came around. “Every time I saw an almond macaroon, I bought it, but in bakeries you mostly only see coconut,” she told me. “It’s a travesty.” This…
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News New fund offers financial grants to Jews of color in dire need due to pandemic
An organization dedicated to supporting and advocating for Jews of color has opened a COVID-19 emergency relief fund, citing the ways in which racism amplifies the impact of the coronavirus on people of color. A project of the Jews of Color Field Building Initiative, the fund will provide grants of between $250 and $2,500 to…
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Fast Forward US Task Force: Ashkenazi Jewish Women Should Test For Breast Cancer Genes
(JTA) — Ashkenazi Jewish women should be screened for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes linked to breast cancer. That’s the recommendation by a U.S. task force announced in an editorial this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. One in 40 Ashkenazi Jews have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, compared with one in…
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Fast Forward ‘Rabbi rebellion’: 33 Orthodox rabbis endorse Harris
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Opinion Here’s why Orthodox Jews are loyal to Trump — even if they don’t love him
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Opinion I was a Bernie supporter. This year, I’m voting Trump. Here’s why liberal Jews like me made the switch
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FIRST PERSON As a rabbi, he helped others mourn. So why wouldn’t his daughter say kaddish for him?
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Fast Forward American Airlines won’t fly to Israel again until at least September 2025
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Fast Forward Trump and Harris both tell Michigan voters they’re aiming to end the war in Gaza
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