The Black Rabbi Who Fights Racism Through Novel Writing & Other Orthodox Jews in the News

In Orthodox Dating Scene, Matchmakers Go Digital
A newly-launched program called OU-JLIConnections is a partnership between the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus and the popular Orthodox dating site SawYouAtSinai, which relies mostly on matchmakers browsing online dating profiles. OU-JLIConnections uses campus Jewish educators who know the students as matchmakers rather than SawYouAtSinai’s randomly assigned shadchans. Its merging of old-school and new-school technologies occupies a potent middle ground in a fast-changing Orthodox dating environment.

Kosher Clubbing – With Fine Wine and Food
The Rosh Chodesh clubs (or RCCs, as they are known) were started in New York by oenophile, Yossie Horwitz. At Horwitz’s New York home, his August Rosh Chodesh festivities included an aperitif of Golan Heights Brut Rosé 2008, with platters of charred Shishito peppers, olives and crusty baguettes.

How a Kardashian Backlash is Giving Rise to Modest Dressing
In 1987, when Chaya Chanin was three years old, she was curating her own wardrobe, letting her mother know through her monosyllabic vocabulary whether she was prepared to be attired in the suggested outfit. Two years later, Chaya was the one telling her mother what to wear, with the help of an additional stylist: her four-year-old sister, Simi Polonsky. Even though the duo became known for their quirky outfits and fashion practically almost as soon as they emerged from the womb, they grew up knowing they had to contend with religious barriers when choosing what to wear.

An Orthodox Rabbi’s Daughter Wants to Make Political History in Belgium
At 23, Rezi Friedman can already boast credentials matched by few women in her community. Her prestigious alma mater, this city’s Karel de Grote University College, from where she graduated last year with a degree in clinical psychology, awarded her a distinction for excellence. It was partly in recognition of her journey from one of the world’s most insular faith communities: Antwerp’s large population of Haredi Orthodox Jews.

A Black, Orthodox Rabbi’s Novel Addresses Racism in the Jewish Community
When Shais Rishon thinks of American Jewish literature, virtually no Jews of color come to mind — as characters or authors. “We’re invisible, pretty much,” he told JTA. As an African-American Orthodox rabbi, Rishon hopes to change that.

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