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
-
Fast Forward Meet Avi Berkowitz, Jared Kushner’s Protégé Who Went From Harvard To The White House
Less than a year ago, Avi Berkowitz was completing his degree at Harvard Law School. Today, the 28-year-old is an assistant to Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser. The rapid rise of the young lawyer, raised in a Jewish orthodox family in New York suburbs, is largely due to his close ties with…
-
Community Jewish Day Schools Must End The Silence On Sexual Harassment
My first confrontation with sexual harassment was not on the streets but within my small Modern Orthodox high school. As I walked down the hallways, its walls decorated with quotes from prominent rabbinical figures and pictures of students bent over Judaic texts, I heard my name being called alongside whistles and jeers, crude language and…
-
Community Taking Haredi Suicide Out Of The Shadows
In 2016, we saw a disturbing spike in suicides in the American Haredi community — and a flurry of speculation about the causes. Addressing this issue must be done with the greatest sensitivity. 75 suicides in a year is a statistic, but the reality is 75 individual tragedies. As a therapist with 20 years experience…
-
Fast Forward Female Orthodox Law Partners Wear Pink To Prosecute Criminals
Move over Elle Woods. Orthodox Jews Mindy Meyer and Sara Shulevitz, practicing criminal law in New York City while donning matching pink dresses, a statement they say is as much about fashion as feminism. “We comply with Orthodox Jewish rules of modesty, but we like to wear pink,” Shulevitz, 40, told The New York Daily…
-
Breaking News Jason Greenblatt’s Kippah Went Missing, And The Israelis Were Baffled
President Trump’s adviser on international negotiations just concluded his first trip to the Middle East and won a round of praise from all sides, for his openness and inclusiveness in approaching the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But some in the Israeli press and on social media noticed another fact: Greenblatt, who is Orthodox, showed up to his…
-
Breaking News Betsy DeVos Praises Orthodox Schools As Model After Agudath Israel Meeting
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos praised Orthodox Jewish schools as a model for publicly funded education. “I applaud Agudath Israel for their leadership and commitment to providing their community with access to educational options that meet the academic and religious needs of their families,” she said Wednesday after meeting with leaders of the…
-
Breaking News OU Wants To Double Security Funds For Jewish And Muslim Instiutions
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Orthodox Union is backing a bipartisan letter circulating in the Senate that calls for doubling security funding for non-profits, citing threats to both Jewish and Muslim institutions. “At a time when children being evacuated from daycare centers in response to repeated bomb threats and mosques are deliberately being set on fire,…
-
Community The Manhattan Eruv Needs Your Help
The Manhattan Eruv is one of the world’s largest, and most impressive Eruvin. It reaches from the UWS to the UES, from Harlem to Battery Park. It is run quietly, with incredible efficiency and humility; supervised by the Mechon L’Hoyroa in Monsey and run by Rabbis Adam Mintz, Yosie Levine, and Gavriel Bellino. The Eruv…
Most Popular
- 1
Culture Why saying ‘L’shana Tova’ on Rosh Hashanah may not be the correct phrase
- 2
Fast Forward Was the viral Ta-Nehisi Coates interview a hit piece or fair play? A journalism ethics expert weighs in.
- 3
Culture How my odious cousin Roy Cohn was responsible for creating Donald Trump — and me
- 4
Culture New conspiracy theory just dropped — Jews are causing the hurricanes
In Case You Missed It
-
Culture How the closing of a website for Yom Kippur confessions explains the modern internet
-
Fast Forward Brown University rejects pro-Palestinian protesters’ demand to divest from Israel
-
Fast Forward As Netanyahu pushes US to join fight against Iran, Biden tells Jewish leaders US ‘fully’ backs Israel’s right to defend itself
-
Fast Forward German town’s memorial stones for Nazi victims are stolen on Oct. 7 anniversary
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism