The Orthodox Union has adopted a new policy barring women from serving as clergy at its 400 member congregations across the United States. At least four synagogues that are members of the Orthodox Union currently employ women in clergy roles. A new rabbinic ruling by seven leading Modern Orthodox rabbis — adopted as official OU…
In the last decade, scandals involving kosher slaughter have led to dramatic improvements in the industry. But both the U.S. and Israel continue to import beef certified as glatt kosher that is slaughtered in ways that animal welfare experts condemn as inhumane and cruel. Kosher meat production plants in the South American nations of Uruguay,…
A rabbi who worked for the Orthodox Union, the world’s biggest kosher certifier, for 20 years is claiming in a lawsuit that the agency acquiesced to demands from Manischewitz, a client and the iconic matzo-maker, that it soften its standards. The O.U. let Manischewitz hire and pay for its own kosher inspector, a practice that…
WASHINGTON — An Orthodox Union official said a visit by President Barack Obama to a Baltimore mosque was an appropriate message embracing diversity. “George W. Bush went to a mosque a few days after 9-11 to send the message the United States should stand by principles of religious diversity and religious freedom for all faiths,”…
Amid widespread denunciations of Donald Trump’s proposal to bar Muslims from entering the United States, a handful of Jewish groups have failed to condemn the Republican presidential candidate’s controversial plan. In a December 7 statement, Trump’s campaign said that the real estate developer was “calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the…
Kosher marijuana could soon be available to Orthodox Jews in New York State — but only on doctor’s orders. Rabbi Moshe Elefant, COO of the Orthodox Union’s kosher certification agency, said he has held “preliminary discussions” with several companies interested in obtaining a kosher seal of approval for medical marijuana. The move comes as legalization…
A growing chorus of Orthodox leaders are speaking out against anti-Arab rhetoric following racially inflammtory statements by Steven Pruzansky, a prominent Teaneck, New Jersey rabbi. After last week’s terrorist attack at a Jerusalem synagogue, Pruzansky, the spiritual leader of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun, wrote a blog post titled “Dealing with Savages” that said Arabs in the…
New York City awarded more than 1,000 seats to Jewish schools in its new free full-day pre-kindergarten program, but some advocates remain frustrated. Called “Pre-K for All,” the new program offers free schooling to over 50,000 New York City children and is a signature achievement for Mayor Bill de Blasio. In May, the mayor said…
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