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News On Ultra-Orthodox social media, the messiah is almost here.
After an armed insurrection at the Capitol, rampant conspiracy theories about a stolen election and social media blackouts for President Donald Trump, some WhatsApp, YouTube and Facebook users in Ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, communities see the present moment as the darkness before the dawn — that is, the golus before the coming of moshiach, the messiah….
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News Is Gab’s leadership as antisemitic as its users?
After the Anti-Defamation League published an open letter asking the federal government to investigate the self-described “free speech” social media platform Gab — which hosted the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter — for its possible role in the Jan. 6 Capitol siege, Gab’s response letter included an unusual sign-off. “We will never bend to their demands and…
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Culture Sea shanties have gone viral on TikTok — are niggunim next?
I have been singing a sea shanty all day. All week, really. This one is called the “The Wellerman” and it’s having a moment on TikTok. Yes, the whaling boat’s work songs from 200 years ago have gone viral with the teens. TikTok users are sharing the original audio, sung by a TikToker named Nathan…
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Opinion A TikTok Hanukkah miracle — and your weekend reads
This is an adaptation of our weekly Shabbat newsletter, sent by our editor-in-chief on Friday afternoons. Sign up here to get the Forward’s free newsletters delivered to your inbox. And click here to download and print a PDF of Your Weekend Reads. This is a story about everything and nothing, and it happened right here…
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Fast Forward ‘Pray for the wholeness of the nation!’ Orthodox social media groups pray for Trump
An image circulating in Orthodox social media groups is calling on Orthodox Jews to pray for a speedy recovery for President Donald Trump who announced that he and his wife Melania tested positive for COVID-19 in the early hours of Friday morning. “Oh pray for the wholeness of the nation!” says the image in Hebrew,…
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The Schmooze Twitter’s newest meme has Jews sharing their (least) favorite “spots”
Twitter’s newest trend is a twisted travel game for the quarantine era. It’s the “I know a spot” meme: people suggest a “cool” place to go, which turns out to be a destination you don’t want to visit. For example: men be like “i know a spot” & then take you to rock bottom —…
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The Schmooze Caroline Calloway says Harry Potter taught her anti-Semitic stereotypes
Caroline Calloway, the only person on the internet who can’t be cancelled (so it seems), is at it again with an curious explanation of latent anti-Semitism in her unstoppable social media presence. For the uninitiated, Calloway is an influencer making a name from her somewhat hate-able and extremely watchable online behavior. She’s gained (and embraced)…
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The Schmooze Scandal-prone influencer Arielle Charnas is battling over her florist bill on Instagram
Just over a month after tearfully apologizing for her last coronavirus-era transgressions, beleaguered influencer Arielle Charnas is making headlines again — this time for stiffing her florist. Owner of the clothing line Something Navy, Charnas has racked up over a million Instagram followers by sharing daily outfit selfies, lukewarm TikTok dance routines, and snapshots of…
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Culture Jimmy Carter’s death: Assessing the 39th president’s record on Israel and the Jews
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Fast Forward Art Spiegelman, Pulitzer Prize winner behind ‘Maus,’ plans graphic novel about Gaza
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Opinion I was wrong about Israel. I apologized. Then President Carter gave me a lesson in grace
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Fast Forward German woman who lives in home looted from Jews must give it up, judge rules
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Opinion What Jimmy Carter has to teach Donald Trump about peace in the Middle East
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Film & TV From Germany, a ‘Sopranos’ set in the world of a Jewish delicatessen
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Fast Forward U.S. military vet with ‘deep-seated animus against Jews’ tried to join Hezbollah, feds charge
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Fast Forward To kick off 2025, Netherlands throws open archive of suspected Nazi collaborators
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