Jezebel: Judaism

Calling Bullshit on Religious Misogyny

Hugo Schwyzer — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:20:00 EST

As the clash between modernity and fundamentalism grows more intense worldwide, women's bodies are a key battleground. Last month, ultra-Orthodox Israelis spat on an 8-year-old girl as she walked to school, calling her a whore. In all three major Western religions, the voices demanding "modesty" and concealment for women are growing louder and more aggressive. More »

Israeli Conference Says Female Doctors Have No Business Talking About Vaginas

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:49:00 EST

The issue of gender segregation has been growing more heated in Israel, and there's an ironic twist to the latest incident. A major conference on gynecology is only featuring male presenters, because really, what the hell do female researchers know about the functions of the wily vagina? More »

Israeli Women Enraging Some Men By Refusing To Move To Back of the Bus

Erin Gloria Ryan — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:40:00 EST

Controversy has erupted in Israel over several women refusing to move to the back of the bus for men. Proponents of public transportation gender segregation say that they're only looking out for the ladies' modesty, but opponents say forcing women to move for men puts Israeli society on a slippery slope that could lead to women losing other rights, like voting. Women! When will they stop causing problems? More »

Controversial Sex Story Could Actually Be Good For Yeshiva University

Anna North — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:35:00 EST

An anonymous story in the Yeshiva University Beacon has caused a scandal with its depiction of a premarital sexual encounter. The piece was so controversial that it's led to the resignation of an editor and a schism between the newspaper and the university. More »

Orthodox Jews Debate Chicken-Swinging Ritual

Anna North — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:05:00 EDT

In the Yom Kippur tradition of kaparot, some Orthodox Jews swing a live chicken above their heads, then slaughter it, often donating the meat to charity. But some now say the practice is inhumane. Rabbi Meir Hirsch says the chickens "spend all day in the sun without food or drink" before their deaths. He adds, "You cannot perform a commandment by committing a sin." Now Hirsch waves a $10 bill over his head instead. More »

Is Patti Stanger Good For The Jews?

Sarah Tuttle-Singer — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:30:00 EDT

Patti, Patti, Patti… Oy vey ismir. You are to dating and relationships what Sarah Silverman is to comedy. By nature of your personality alone, you force us to choose: We either love you or we (really) don't. And, Patti, I love you. Really, I do. In spite of your overzealous relationship with the flat iron, I think you're interesting. And while being out there and stoking the fires of controversy as you do is edgy, generalizing about an entire community is like getting drunk on the edge of a cliff: Really fucking stupid. More »

Ultra-Orthodox Man Spits On Lesbian Rabbi At Gay Marriage Protest

Irin Carmon — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:10:00 EDT

Yesterday, outside the New York state senate (which has yet to schedule a vote on a pending gay marriage bill), rabbi and gay rights activist Sharon Kleinbaum jostled with anti-gay marriage Hasids. It got pretty ugly. More »

Hasidic Newspaper Explains Why It Airbrushed Out Hillary Clinton

Irin Carmon — Mon, 09 May 2011 17:15:00 EDT

Di Tzeitung, the Hasidic newspaper that Photoshopically removed Hillary Clinton and Audrey Tomason from the famous situation room photo, has explained its actions as follows: More »

I Miss Amy Winehouse

Dvora Myers — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:12:00 EDT

In many ways, this has been the season of the Good Jewish Girl. The proudly Jewish, defiantly curly-haired Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz — a woman "so, so excited to be Jewish" — has been elected to lead the Democratic National Committee (the second woman ever to hold said position). In February, the elegant, shiny-haired, opportunely pregnant Natalie Portman ascended the podium at the Academy Awards to collect the Best Actress Oscar — a day before valiantly standing up to her sartorial patron in defense of her people. And Portman took this turn as our modern-day Esther shortly after 21-year-old Loren Galler Rabinowitz became the first Jew to compete for the Miss America title since Bess Myerson won in 1945. "A lot of my friends were taking a gap year in order to make money for school-taking jobs at banks and things," Galler Rabinowitz said. "I wanted to spend a year doing public service, which I've always been extremely passionate about. And this year seemed like my last opportunity before jumping on the hamster wheel of med school." More »

How I Came To Terms With Circumcising My Son

Sarah Tuttle-Singer — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:15:00 EDT

Walking to class past the political and cultural smorgasbord of Sproul Plaza at the University of California at Berkeley was a feast for the eyes. There was, of course, the Ralph Nader-loving table teeming with activity and the ever-desolate Berkeley College Republicans station. But the one that always caught my eye was the "Male Circumcision = Genital Mutilation" table. And yes, they had pictures. More »

Jake Gyllenhaal Reveals He's Hiding Something On Shalom Sesame

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 23:00:00 EDT

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In this clip from Shalom Sesame, a Sesame Street series designed to teach kids about Judaism, Jake Gyllenhaal chats about hiding the afikomen. It's pretty adorable, but the real test will be whether or not Jake can deliver an equally entertaining explanation of the bitter herbs and hard-boiled egg. More »

H&M Sells Jewish Prayer Shawls Now

Jenna Sauers — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:47:07 EST

A tipster just sent us this photo of a scarf for sale in the window at H&M. A scarf that happens to look just like a tallit! Is H&M going into the Judaica business in anticipation of Passover? Or do they just think this is where the fashion winds are tending, now that the keffiyeh trend is so played out? More »

Debbie Friedman, Jewish Feminist Folk Singer, Dies At 59

Anna North — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST

Singer Debbie Friedman died Sunday of complications of pneumonia, but her progressive, feminist influence on Jewish folk music will live on. More »

For The Last Time: It's Not My Fault That My Dad Is Ruining The World

Sadie Stein — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:42:00 EDT

Yet again, this week I had to hear someone tell me my dad was ruining Judaism. Look, I'm sorry! More »

Rabbi Approves "Honeypot Sex" For Female Spies

Irin Carmon — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:57:00 EDT

In a study, "Illicit sex for the sake of national security," an Israeli rabbi has noted that seducing the enemy is sanctioned by the Bible, most famously in the Esther story. Question: What is the dude equivalent of "honeypot"? More »

The Burqa Ban...For Orthodox Jewish Women

Irin Carmon — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:16:02 EDT

Ultra-Orthodox rabbis in Israel are about to issue an edict banning a particular outfit adopted by a few women — because it's too modest. That outfit? A burqa. More »

Coming Soon: The "JAP" Answer To Jersey Shore

Irin Carmon — Tue, 11 May 2010 18:20:14 EDT

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It was inevitable. I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet. That said, how could one not groan at the news that a production company is casting for the "Super Jappy" answer to Jersey Shore? More »

Costume International

Anna Holmes — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:10:00 EST

[Tel Aviv, February 24. Image via Getty]

Dad May Be Jailed For Taking Daughter To Church

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST

After Joseph Reyes baptized his 3-year-old daughter against his Jewish ex-wife's wishes, a court forbid him from exposing her to Catholicism-but he still took her to church. Reyes explained on GMA, "Catholicism falls right under the umbrella of Judaism." More »

Women Of The Wall Leader Questioned, Told She May Be Charged With Felony

Irin Carmon — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:45:00 EST

"Our prayer is authentic, it is pure, it is not a provocation," says Women Of The Wall's Anat Hoffman, whom Israeli police detained this week for questioning about her group's longstanding monthly prayers at Judaism's holiest site. [Forward, YNET] More »

Ultra-Orthodox Call Women At The Wall "Nazis" and Accuse Them Of Being Non-Jewish

Irin Carmon — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:40:00 EST

Another monthly prayer session, another confrontation between Women Of The Wall and the ultra-Orthodox at the Western Wall. Today: Shouts that the women were "not-Jews" and "Nazis," according to Israel's Army Radio. [Haaretz] More »

British Supreme Court: Yes, You Can. (Go To Jewish School.)

Sadie Stein — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:40:00 EST

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has decided that London's Jewish Free School practiced racial discrimination when it gave lower admissions priority to a pupil on grounds that he was not ethnically Jewish: More »

Woman Detained At Western Wall Writes About Ordeal

Irin Carmon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST

"Curses in Hebrew and Yiddish, venomous treatment toward me and my tallit, and speculation regarding my gender and religion: 'A man in the women's section!' 'He's not even Jewish!'" On praying and getting arrested at the Wall. [The Forward] More »

Israeli Woman Arrested For Praying At The Western Wall

Irin Carmon — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:20:00 EST

A twenty-five year old Israeli is the first woman arrested for wearing a prayer shawl at Judaism's holiest site, the Kotel. It's the latest strike in the war between Orthodox rabbis and, in their words, the "deviants who serve equality." More »

Many Happy Returns

Anna Holmes — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:10:00 EST

[Jerusalem, November 16. Image via Getty]

Front Row Seats

Anna Holmes — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST

[New York, November 1. Image via Getty]

Book Of Common Prayer

Anna Holmes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:10:00 EDT

[Bethlehem, October 29. Image via Getty]

Our Friends & Neighbors

Anna Holmes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:10:00 EDT

[North Hollywood, October 29. Image via Getty]

Seat, Pray, Love

Anna Holmes — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:10:00 EDT

[Bethlehem, October 29. Image via Getty]

Complete Lack of Understanding Of Teenage Brain In Middle East

Sadie Stein — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:40:00 EDT

Fascinating/depressing story on NPR about a group of Jewish "vigilantes" trying to stop interracial dating in Israel - and their shockingly inept approach: More »

Personal Fowl

Anna Holmes — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:10:00 EDT

[Jerusalem, September 23. Image via Getty]

“God Is A Woman And She Is Growing Older”

Sadie Stein — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:20:00 EDT

"It was the times they tore me to shreds that were the best," reminisces Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig. Spoken like a firebrand: More »

Mayim Bialik Did Not Exactly Adore Her WNTW Outfit

Sadie Stein — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EDT

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Two kids and a neuroscience doctorate down, the actress formerly known as Blossom Russo has decided to get back into acting. Obviously, as mentioned by Hortense, she called Clinton and Stacy. There was just one problem: More »

One Step Forward...

Anna Holmes — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:10:00 EDT

[Berlin, July 22. Image via Getty]

The Half-Jew's Complaint

Sadie Stein — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Debates are raging in Israel over whether to let people claim Jewish identity based on either parent. More conservative factions want to stick to matrilineality. Us half-Jews are confused. More »

The Forest For The Trees

Anna Holmes — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:10:00 EDT

["Ljubelj South", Slovenia; June 5. Image via Getty]

L'Chaim! Woman Becomes First African-American Female Rabbi

Sadie Stein — Fri, 22 May 2009 13:30:00 EDT

When she is ordained on June 6th, Alysa Stanton will become the first African-American woman ever to be ordained as a rabbi. More »

New School For Orthodox Jewish Women Opens, But Will They Be Rabbis?

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:30:00 EDT

Yesterday, the opening of Yeshivat Mahara"t, a new training program for Orthodox Jewish women to become spiritual leaders was announced. It's a big step, but women may still be barred from becoming rabbis. More »

The Pilgrim Soul

Anna Holmes — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:10:00 EDT

[Djerba, Tunisia; May 11. Image via Getty]

Dietary Laws

Sadie Stein — Sun, 10 May 2009 17:20:00 EDT

A new movement of "Eco-Kosher" Jews feels that eating sustainably, organically and locally fulfills a religious responsibility to protect the environment. Accordingly, a number of synagogues around the country have started community-supported agriculture projects. [LAT] More »