Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of social media platforms and their role in Jewish life.
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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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The Schmooze How Jewish Teens Are Using TikTok, The Viral Short Video Platform
It took me just five minutes of TikTok streaming to come upon a video of a teenager dressed as “Harry Potter” spinoff character Newt Scamander doing American Sign Language over a recording of comedian John Mulaney riffing on Jewish women. Further down the page — an eye-rolling girl gave a tour of her parents’ mezuza…
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Opinion The Internet Sins We’ll Atone For This Yom Kippur
On Yom Kippur, we confess an alphabet of annual sins: Bribe-taking! Bribe-giving! Foolish speech! Lewdness! Lying! Scoffing! It’s a list that has almost completely withstood the test of time. Most people would do well to apologize for blurting things out, passing judgment and “deceiving a fellowman.” And, more darkly, some people should seriously consider repentance…
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Fast Forward Why neo-Nazis marched in Ohio this weekend, and almost every weekend in the US
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Opinion The group behind Project 2025 has a plan to protect Jews. It will do the opposite.
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Opinion Just about every interpretation of Trump’s narrow election victory is wrong
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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
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Fast Forward Rep. Ritchie Torres, outspoken pro-Israel advocate, is dropping hints that he could run for NY governor
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Fast Forward Ursula Haverbeck, infamous German Holocaust denier known as ‘Nazi grandma,’ dies at 96
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Fast Forward A Jewish museum in Tulsa held a funeral for remains of Holocaust victims it kept for years
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Sports Texas A&M’s Sam Salz cherishes his first taste of DI college football — and the opportunity to inspire fellow Orthodox Jews
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