Meet New York’s Hasidic Jewish Bagpipe Player Not every bagpipe-playing altar boy considering joining the priesthood grows up to be a Hasidic Jew — but Ian Sherman did. Ian, known today in many circles by his Hebrew name Ephraim Eliyahu, was born to a Scottish Catholic mother and an Eastern European Jewish father, and was […]

This Jewish Comedian Has a Lot to Kvetch About Imagine John Oliver in a yarmulke, minus the Trump remarks. That’s Ashley Blaker, the Orthodox Jewish stand-up comedian who, in his cultured, aggrieved British way, looks and sounds amazingly like the host of “Last Week Tonight.” He’s a graduate of both Oxford and Cambridge, and a […]

Mayim Bialik Wrote About The Science Of Being A Boy As a trained neuroscientist and fulltime mother, Mayim Bialik was well-equipped to write ‘Boying Up: How to be Brave, Bold and Brilliant.’ She talks about being a Modern Orthodox Jew and the idea that all Jewish souls were together at Mt. Sinai. Ruchie Freier: Hasidic […]

Sixty Senior Rabbis Call for End to ‘Evil Crime’ of Live Animal Shipments One of Israel’s most senior rabbis has ruled that anyone buying meat from animals shipped from overseas to Israel for slaughter in cruel conditions is a partner to a crime. In a letter released Thursday by animal rights activists, Rabbi Yehuda Deri, […]

Triple Crown Champs Racing Manager is Backing a New Horse The family is Orthodox Jewish — which means their Sabbath conflicts with Saturdays, when races are held. As a result, the Zayats can’t drive to and from the track (nor can they communicate via phone). Instead, they typically stay in a hotel about a mile […]

Orthodox Family Speaks Out About Opioid Abuse in the Religious Community The opiate epidemic raging across the country has seeped into nearly every community, and the Orthodox population is not immune. Community leaders say the drug problem is growing. Applications to kosher drug rehab are soaring, Narcan is being carried by Hatzalah ambulances, which serve […]