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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The Schmooze Orthodox Courtship Can Be Quick As ‘The Bachelor’ — But It’s So Much Different
On the season finale of “The Bachelor” Arie Luyendyk — whose last name, rather appropriately, rhymes with d*** — proposed to Becca Kufrin, one of over a dozen women vying to be crowned fiancée. But then he pulled a “I’ve got to follow my heart” move — he broke up with her by the end…
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Community Ultra-Orthodox Legislators Are Weaponizing Torah Study
A version of this story first appeared in +61J, an Australian Jewish publication. How ironic would it be if Netanyahu’s government came to an end not due to his investigations, but as a result of the messy politics of religion and state? This week, representatives of the ultra-Orthodox sector in Knesset staged a coalition crisis…
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Community Is Modern Orthodoxy Just A Social Club?
The Orthodox Jewish community is often characterized as being obsessively ritualistic, pious and insular. More so than other denominations, our religious practice requires fealty in every area of our lives, from the first words we say when we wake up in the mornings, every morsel of food we consume, the clothes we wear, and the…
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Life Why Did Netflix Cut ‘I’m Gay’ From Documentary About Ex-Hasids?
NEW YORK (JTA) — A woman who was featured in a hit Netflix documentary about former Orthodox Jews says the fact that she was openly lesbian was cut from the film. Etty Ausch, 33, is one of three people who tell their stories of leaving the Brooklyn Hasidic community in “One of Us,” which was…
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News Ultra-Orthodox Americans Tell Israel To Stand Ground On Western Wall
American ultra-Orthodox leaders traveled to Israel this week to tell Israeli officials to ignore liberal American Jews’ demands to allow women to pray at the Western Wall. In statements and documents announcing the trip, the ultra-Orthodox leaders attacked non-Orthodox Jewish groups, saying that while ultra-Orthodoxy is growing, non-Orthodox Jewish movements are “dying,” and that acceding…
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Fast Forward Muslim Hijab Brand Creates Pro-LGBTQ Rainbow Scarf
Yesterday, UK-based Gay Times reported that MOGA, a Muslim-owned Melbourne brand that sells women’s headscarves and shawls, would be re-issuing their pro-LGBTQ rainbow-print scarf for Sydney, Austrailia’s annual Mardi Gras celebration. The Pride flag-esque hijab was created last year to support Australia’s legalization of same-sex marriage — legislation which Australia’s parliament overwhelmingly voted in favor…
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Community I Never Imagined Seeing My Religious Former Principal In Handcuffs
A version of this article originally appeared in +61J, an Australian Jewish publication. As a former teacher at the Adass Israel school in Melbourne, Australia, I never imagined that a day would come when I would be sitting in a Jerusalem courtroom a meter away from the principal of the school with handcuffs around her…
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Opinion You Know Who Isn’t Abandoning Israel? The Orthodox.
Some recent studies have yielded a disturbing picture: young American Jews are becoming more and more alienated from their elders’ full-hearted embrace of Israel. It has led to some hand-wringing. “When young Jews stop identifying with Israel or caring about it, this reinforces a lack of engagement with their Jewish identity overall,” wrote Batya Ungar-Sargon…
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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 This is the most disorienting Rosh Hashanah in memory
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Fast Forward Meet Lev Kreitman, who brought down Tel Aviv shooter and survived Nova music festival on Oct. 7
In Case You Missed It
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Fast Forward Nova survivor reveals she witnessed rape on Oct. 7 at Tel Aviv memorial ceremony interrupted by rocket sirens
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Fast Forward In NYC, Jews gather together — and apart — for prayer and protest to mark one year since Oct. 7
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Fast Forward Trump visits gravesite of Lubavitcher Rebbe to mark Oct. 7 anniversary
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Fast Forward Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff plant a pomegranate tree for Oct. 7 victims
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