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
-
Community The Mystical Reason Jews Rush To Get Married Before Passover
It is definitely that time of year again. Aside from receiving numerous envelopes which ominously read “Important Tax Document Enclosed,” the typical ultra-Orthodox Jewish mailbox is filed with an equally anxiety-producing sort of correspondence this time of year: A deluge of wedding invitations. Since the beginning of February, my family has received five ivory envelopes…
-
News Orthodox Send Undocumented Domestic Workers On Risky Passover Trip
What do you do when you want to bring the housekeeper to your home in Florida for Passover, but she can’t fly because she is undocumented? This is the conundrum that Israel, a private taxi driver, is here to help you solve. But it will cost you a chunk of change — and it comes…
-
Life Why Are Modern Orthodox Millennials Like Me Looking For A Different Path?
We sat in wicker chairs at a cafe overlooking Jerusalem’s Old City. We both sipped lattes and laughed easily, silently appreciating how the sun peaked through the umbrellas covering the outdoor seating area, soaking the Jerusalem stone all around us. The amaryllis were in bloom, adding a pop of pink to the otherwise sand colored…
-
Fast Forward London Jewish School Censored ‘Homosexual’ From Textbook
An Orthodox Jewish school for girls in London blacked out the word “homosexual” from an official textbook, along with references to women and men hanging around together, according to a report in The Guardian. The textbook, titled “Understanding the Modern World,” is part of the official curriculum of the state-funded school. School authorities censored an…
-
Opinion Yes, Farrakhan Is Still Dangerous. Just Ask Us Orthodox Jews.
If you think Farrakhan is irrelevant, it’s likely because you haven’t been spat in the face or heard your children cursed in the street. Watching the tepid response to the Women’s March Louis Farrakhan controversy, I can’t help but feel despondent. Even with a few voices in the Jewish media speaking out, many see Farrakhan…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
Most Popular
- 1
Fast Forward Why neo-Nazis marched in Ohio this weekend, and almost every weekend in the US
- 2
Opinion The group behind Project 2025 has a plan to protect Jews. It will do the opposite.
- 3
Opinion Just about every interpretation of Trump’s narrow election victory is wrong
- 4
News Texas schools want to add Queen Esther to the curriculum. Here’s why Jews (and many Christians) are opposed.
In Case You Missed It
-
Opinion Israel’s boycott of Haaretz is straight out of the authoritarian playbook
-
Fast Forward Killing of Israeli rabbi in UAE could strengthen ties between Israel and Arab neighbors, experts say
-
Opinion Despair is not a strategy. Here are 4 things those mourning the election results can do right now.
-
Fast Forward Jared Kushner donates $1 million to Chabad of United Arab Emirates after rabbi murdered
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism