A tragic mass shooting that hit close to home for the Jewish community elicited a call from Jewish groups for gun control legislation. The Orthodox Union put its emphasis on expanding the program providing security grants to nonprofits, a program that has provided throughout the years funds for Jewish institutions to better address threats of…
Since our inception in 2009, Yeshivat Maharat has been no stranger to questions and concerns that have been raised by some in the Orthodox community. Despite the excellent work being done by our students and graduates across North America, every few years there have been attempts to halt the flourishing of female leadership. We have…
(JTA) — President Donald Trump signed into law a bill to extend disaster assistance by Federal Emergency Management Agency to houses of worship. On Friday morning, Trump signed a two-year budget measure that included the provisions extending assistance. The government had shut down overnight, as lawmakers were unable to agree on the larger budget bill….
After nearly a year of deliberation, the leading Modern Orthodox umbrella group decided Tuesday night that it won’t expel its member synagogues that employ female clergy. Instead, the organization, called the Orthodox Union, said it will continue to “urge” the four synagogues to “modify their practices” and will revisit the question in early 2021. The…
The Barrier-Breaking Female Orthodox Rabbi Alissa Thomas-Newborn grew up watching a woman lead services in synagogue: Her own mother, Didi Thomas, is the spiritual leader at Temple Emet, a Reform congregation in Torrance, California. Over the years, Thomas-Newborn became Orthodox — but found herself searching for a way to serve as a female religious leader…
The Orthodox Union on Monday endorsed the Trump administration’s rollback of a rule requiring employers to include coverage for birth control in the health plans they offer their employees. “The new regulations are good news for all Americans,” said Mark Bane, president of the O.U. board. “Religious freedom is a fundamental right for all, so…
Many Jewish groups criticized the Trump administration’s decision last week to allow more entities to deny offering contraception in their health care plans on religious grounds—but Orthodox Jewish groups are praising the move. The Orthodox Union issued a statement on Monday welcoming the memorandum from the Department of Health and Human Services, which undid some…
The Orthodox Union is urging New York City to arrange for kosher certification of a free school lunch program, which observant Jewish and Muslim students have so far not been able to eat. “The mayor is openly discriminating against students in nonpublic and religious schools,” Orthodox Union CEO Allen Fagin told the New York Daily…
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