Rabbi Gabriel Negrin’s family has been in Greece for a very long time – since the 4th century BCE, to be exact. Negrin, who has been the rabbi of Athens since he was 26-years-old, explains that the Jewish community of Greece is called “Romaniot.” “I can trace our family background [directly] to the 11th century.” […]
Jews are a refugee people, and as an ethnic minority we have never had a solid home base since our exile from our homeland in 70CE, due to Roman colonizers. As such, our ethnic food has become the food of the places that have housed us. While classic Ashkanazi foods like brisket, matzah ball soup […]
Out of all the controversies surrounding Orthodox Jews, I never thought ice cream would be one of them. Yet today, “Can Orthodox Jews eat ice cream?” was a breakout Google search — thanks to FX’s new thriller, The Patient. The show features a Jewish therapist grappling with a particularly unique and dangerous client, as well as […]
Seven high school football coaches have been fired after it was caught on surveillance video that they forced a kosher-keeping player to eat a pepperoni pizza as punishment for missing a training session. The school board voted unanimously to oust the coaches, and none of them will be able to be hired in the district […]
Orthodox and Haredi Hasidic Jews Are Scapegoats in the Coronavirus Crisis. The ‘Othering’ Goes Back Decades. Orthodox and Hasidic Jews in a New York suburb say the coronavirus has led to increased hatred toward their community. While community leaders have gone above and beyond to spread social distancing messaging, all Jews are being blamed for […]
Contrary to how some have described their somewhat suddenly isolated lives, I can’t possibly accept viewing the current reality as “the new normal.” This is no kind of normal. Recoiling when someone reaches to hand you something, steering your kids across the street to avoid the neighbors, making sure to let the mail sit for […]
