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
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Fast Forward Even Israel’s Secular Textbooks Packed With Religion: Survey
Textbooks on secular subjects in Israel are infused with religious Jewish content, according to a review of 80 books published in the past 10 years conducted by the Israeli parents group the Secular Forum, reported Haaretz. The group called the use of religious themes to explain secular subjects a “systematic and ideological move” to “reshape…
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Community Mitzvah-Lite: What We Miss When We Only Follow “Moral” Commandments
A version of this article originally appeared in the Texas Jewish Post. The man sitting across from me at the pizza shop was a religiously liberal individual for sure — but also very much a person who wore his Judaism on his sleeve and whose life was dedicated to promoting Jewish values as he understood…
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Fast Forward Orthodox British Mayoral Candidate Sorry For Burning New Testament
(JTA) — A far right-wing Orthodox candidate for mayor of the British city of Manchester apologized after burning what he called a “missionary bible” and posting images of it on social media. Shneur Odze, who is a candidate for the right-wing populist UK Independence Party, or UKIP, on the eve of Passover found the Hebrew-language…
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Culture Read The Groundbreaking Orthodox Film Story That’s Now An Award Finalist
Editor’s Note: Simi Horwitz’s stories on the Orthodox world have been named a finalist in the prestigious Deadline Club awards. Read her complete story of Orthodox women filmmakers here. The Haredi world is generally viewed as an insular patriarchal community that shuns movies. Virtually nobody owns a TV. Still, a fledgling, shadow film industry has…
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Breaking News Orthodox Umbrella Group Backs New York Law Banning Assisted Suicide
NEW YORK (JTA) — Agudath Israel of America has filed a brief on behalf of a New York state law banning assisted suicide that is being challenged in the state’s highest court. The haredi Orthodox group filed its amicus brief in the case of Myers v. Schneiderman, where arguments in the Court of Appeals are…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Film & TV Bonhoeffer biopic tells of a pastor turned would-be Hitler assassin — but is the story true?
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News Texas schools want to add Queen Esther to the curriculum. Here’s why Jews (and many Christians) are opposed.
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News What Mike Huckabee’s ‘Kids Guide to Israel’ says about his views
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Culture At 95, Shaindel Schreiber is still dispensing babka and advice on the Lower East Side
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Culture Barbra Streisand recorded here — and so did Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon and, uh, The Village People
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Fast Forward Lee Zeldin, Trump’s pick to helm EPA, says he received bomb threat with ‘pro-Palestinian themed message’
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Opinion We can be thankful this year — and Jewish wisdom can help
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