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 Explained: Orthodox Jews Are Not ‘Pro-Choice’ — But They’re Also Not ‘Pro-Life’
In January the New York state legislature passed its most permissive abortion law yet. The bill expands access to late term abortions and allows medical staff other than doctors to perform abortions. Its supporters see the bill as a legal bulwark against the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case which established a…
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Fast Forward De Blasio Urges Orthodox To Vaccinate As Measles Outbreak Continues
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday urged city residents – particularly Orthodox Jews – to get their children vaccinated as one of the largest measles outbreaks in city history continues to grow, almost solely in Jewish areas of Brooklyn. “As a dad, I urge all parents — particularly in our Orthodox Jewish community…
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Culture Modern Judaism’s Approach To Sex Is Still Creepy And Medieval
I had sex for the first time at a Jewish youth program. It was a positive experience for me, like having an elective surgery performed by a newly licensed family friend and waking up afterward to find that all your limbs still work. I am sure there are as many people who give up their…
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Opinion Why Does The World Hate Haredi Jews?
A recent political ad from Israel compared ultra Orthodox Jews to terrorists. “It makes no difference if one is subjugated by someone with raised weapons,” the ad proclaims, to images of masked, ominous Hamas militiamen with mortars,“or by someone who isn’t prepared to raise a weapon.” Cue shots of a haredi Jew next to a…
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Opinion Inspiring Women | Taking On Tech With 7 Children
Sometimes it feels like we are saturated with bad news. We obsess over what’s wrong, who’s wrong and how wrong they are. It can be… debilitating. And yet, there are great people doing great things, people we know and people we don’t. This series will explore women in Israel. You’ll meet women from politics, tech…
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Fast Forward Orthodox Rabbi Appointed To Serve In Illinois Legislature
(JTA) — An Orthodox rabbi was appointed to serve in the Illinois State Legislature. Rabbi Yehiel Kalish was sworn in to the Illinois House of Representatives on Sunday night. Kalish, 43, is the first rabbi to serve as an Illinois state representative. “I may be the first rabbi in any state legislature. And that’s very exciting,”…
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Fast Forward Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Who Visited North Korea Says Don’t Follow Him
A jet-setting Orthodox rabbi who spent five days in North Korea described hiding his religion as a terrifying experience, Insider reported. Meir Alfasi is a rabbi, photographer and former photojournalist from Israel who has traveled to 80 countries wearing the traditional Lubavich black hat and bekishe, a long black coat. “I travel with the uniform…
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Community Why Is A Jewish Group Fighting Against Sexual Abuse Survivors?
In fewer than 6 months, God willing, I will be ordained as an Orthodox rabbi. I am becoming a rabbi because I believe that rabbis play an important role in empowering and building strong Jewish communities. It is for this reason that I am ashamed and angry when rabbis of my denomination undermine that mission…
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Culture Why saying ‘L’shana Tova’ on Rosh Hashanah may not be the correct phrase
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Culture A Jewish prophet of the 1980s would be horrified to see that we didn’t heed his warnings
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Opinion With killing of Hezbollah’s chief, Israel occupies the inarguable moral high ground
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Opinion This is the most disorienting Rosh Hashanah in memory
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Oct. 7: One Year Later On the eve of this grim anniversary, what we can — and cannot — control
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Fast Forward Antisemitism hits record high in the U.S.; new report shows most-ever incidents in single year
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Culture He founded the Harlem Globetrotters and is the shortest man in the basketball hall of fame. A new book tells his story.
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Oct. 7: One Year Later One year after Oct. 7, a Yom Kippur ritual of communal mourning takes on fresh meaning
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