The Frum “Friends” Wraps its First Season & Other Orthodox Jews in the News

Meet ‘Supergirl,’ the World’s Strongest Teenager
Most days, Naomi Kutin, a high school junior from New Jersey, is a mere teenage mortal. During weekend powerlifting competitions, when the crowd is revved up and that bar is loaded with hundreds of pounds — Naomi squats 321 pounds and dead lifts 365 pounds — she turns into Supergirl.

A Quixotic Quest for Givers
At the age of 73, Elie Horn has a lot to be proud of. A devout Jew born in Aleppo, Syria, he migrated to Brazil as a boy and turned a small São Paulo real-estate company into an empire, building sleek skyscrapers and amassing a fortune that at one point reached some $2 billion.

Students Push Ohio State to Offer Kosher Food
An enterprising student came prepared with a plan for how the university could offer kosher food at an affordable price and without the university having to install a costly kosher kitchen. The university now contracts with Ohio State Hillel to offer pre-packaged kosher meals for students’ lunches. They were first offered in the union on Nov. 20, and the goal is to expand the offerings to other dining areas on campus.

Hanukkah Cheese-Basked Pastries Celebrate the Story of Judith
At the culinary heart of Hanukkah (which begins at sundown Dec. 12) are foods fried in oil to commemorate the triumph of the Maccabees, who won back their sacred temple, and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. But there’s another Hanukkah story, not as well-known, that shifts the culinary narrative to a brave woman and her killer cheese. This story from the Book of Judith explains why dairy makes it onto the holiday table.

‘UK Should Have Thanksgiving-Style Bank Holiday’, Says Chief Rabbi
The Chief Rabbi has called on the government to introduce an American Thanksgiving-style bank holiday to celebrate “Britishness” at the same time as warning that over-promotion of British values could cause divisions in society. Ephraim Mirvis said vigorously espousing “fundamental British values” in an attempt to counter extremism could have the unintended result of causing some sections of society to turn on others, including people from different religious backgrounds.

Modern Orthodox Dating Games in a New ‘Soon By You’
Last year the cult web series “Soon by You” swept the Modern Orthodox world off its feet with a playful and perceptive insider’s take on the intricacies of dating in the close-knit community. The show, set on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, follows six Jewish singles as they juggle social, religious, and communal pressures on their journey to finding that ever-elusive true love — or at least someone who would agree on what type of school to send their future children to.

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