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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Breaking News Los Angeles Orthodox Synagogue Plans To Hire Woman as Maharat
Congregation B’nai David-Judea, an Orthodox synagogue in Los Angeles, is planning to hire its first female clergy member by September, 2015. Such a hire would be a first among Orthodox synagogues in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Jewish Journal reported. The congregation recently retained Alissa Newborn, 25, a student at the New York-based seminary Yeshivat…
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Breaking News Michael Broyde, Modern Orthodox Rabbi in ‘Sockpuppet’ Scandal, Plans New Shul
Michael Broyde, the Modern Orthodox rabbi at the center of a scandal involving his use of pseudonyms to tout his reputation in online discussions, reportedly is launching a new Atlanta-area synagogue. The Jewish Channel, the news website which last year exposed Broyde’s use of an online persona to praise his own work, on Tuesday reported…
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News Are Ultra-Orthodox Turning Away From Vaccination?
A prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbi has drawn criticism for calling vaccines a “hoax,” but his beliefs are not uncommon in Orthodox circles. “I see vaccinations as the problem,” Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky told the Baltimore Jewish Times in a story published in late August. “It’s a hoax. Even the Salk [polio] vaccine is a hoax. It’s just…
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News Is Yeshivah of Flatbush ‘Predatory’ In Its Scrutiny of Girls’ Attire?
(JTA) — For years, Melissa Duchan had found the dress code for girls at her Orthodox school in Brooklyn, the Yeshivah of Flatbush, onerous. But it wasn’t until recently that Duchan, 16, felt that scrutiny of female students had crossed the line from irritating to what she called “predatory.” Though girls by and large were adhering…
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Breaking News Connecticut Home Invasion Killer Sues for Kosher Meals on Death Row
A man sentenced to death for a triple murder in a brutal home invasion in Connecticut is suing to demand a Kosher diet as a newly declared Orthodox Jew, saying the prison’s resistance has forced him into “starvation.” Steven Hayes, 51, invoked the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment in a handwritten lawsuit…
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Breaking News Prominent Orthodox Rabbi Condemns Vaccines as a ‘Hoax’
One of the country’s most prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbis has condemned vaccines as a “hoax” in an interview with a local Jewish newspaper. “I see vaccinations as the problem,” Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky told the Baltimore Jewish Times in a story published in late August. “It’s a hoax. Even the Salk [polio] vaccine is a hoax. It’s…
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Opinion Modesty Is the New Black
Fashion is a tricky one for feminists. There are two poles to navigate, each with deep roots in thousands of years of patriarchy, and few of us make it through uncompromised. On one side we feel the pressure to dress sexy and look attractive, and on the other, a pressure to cover-up, because it is…
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Breaking News Swastika Spray-Painted in Haredi-Heavy New York Suburb
Police are investigating an incident of anti-Semitic vandalism in a Rockland County, N.Y., community with a large haredi Orthodox population. The graffiti, consisting of a swastika and the words “Hail Hitler” spray-painted inside a Jewish star were found on a sidewalk Sunday in the town of Spring Valley, The Associated Press reported. Rabbi Yisroel Kahan,…
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