Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of Orthodox Judaism, which aims for a stricter observance of halachic law than Conservative or Reform Judaism. It includes Modern Orthodox Judaism, as well as Haredi (sometimes called ultra-Orthodox) Judaism,…
Orthodox Judaism
The Latest
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News ‘Whatever God dishes out:’ Orthodox Jews resigned to Biden — now or in December
Almost 80% of Americans say Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the presidential election, according to a Reuters poll. That includes more than half of Republicans. The Orthdox reaction is equal parts deep skepticism and realpolitik. While some join Trump in casting doubt on the results, most major Orthodox groups are ready to recognize, if…
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Life Do I have to wear a skirt to an Orthodox rabbi’s house?
From its start in 1906, A Bintel Brief was a pillar of the Forward, helping generations of Jewish immigrants learn how to be American. Now our columnists are helping people navigate the complexities of being Jewish in 2020. Send questions to [email protected]. Dear Bintel, This happened earlier this year, before my time abroad was cut…
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News In Brooklyn virus ‘red zone,’ why do some posters only tell healthy people to get tested?
When Borough Park, the hub of Orthodox Jewish life in South Brooklyn, was included in a designated coronavirus “red zone” in South Brooklyn earlier this month, its rate of positive tests for coronavirus was 10.6% — more than five times New York City’s overall rate. For the past three weeks, Borough Park’s leaders — rabbis,…
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Fast Forward These Twitter users are #YidenforBiden
Most Americans assume that Orthodox Jews vote Republican. But Twitter user @raynelunger posted on the platform last night asking Orthodox Jews to share “why your Jewish values align with your vote” for former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris. Hearing from lots of orthodox Jews who feel unsafe sharing that they support Biden….
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News A Hasidic village’s coronavirus tests went from 34% positive to 4% in a month. The county health commissioner is asking how.
In the course of about a month, the Hasidic village of Kiryas Joel, N.Y., managed to drop its rate of positive tests for coronavirus infection by a dramatic 30 points — from 34.2% in the last week of September, to 4.2% this week, according to state data released Wednesday. Town leaders and New York Gov….
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Community I’m a doctor, but I’m not mad at the Orthodox
In stark contrast to the impression left by legions of news reports about Haredi Jews in Brooklyn defying public health rules around the coronavirus, I have found over years of working with ultra-Orthodox communities in New York and Jerusalem that members of these communities care deeply about health. Haredi communities have their own system of…
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News Why is this Orthodox group playing nice with Cuomo, even after he shut down their wedding?
On Sunday morning, State Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, an Orthodox Jew who represents the Brooklyn neighborhood of Borough Park, accused New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of “shamelessly stoking the embers of antisemitism.” Around that time, Cuomo was getting a much friendlier reception from a different set of Orthodox leaders — those from the Satmar Hasidic community,…
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Letters The virus is the enemy — not us
Dear Editor: In an Op-Ed published in The Forward, Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel denigrated the Judaism practiced by the overwhelming majority of Jews in New York. He seemed to be arguing that only Haredi Jewish leaders can speak for our city’s Jewish community. This could not be further from the truth. With COVID-19 once…
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