Jewish Word | Bark Mitzvah
The first known bark mitzvah took place in 1958 in Beverly Hills, California.
The Lost Jews of Disney+
Jewishness is both unrelated to the Disney archive and, thanks to Walt Disney’s long-rumored yet long-denied anti-Semitism, inseparable from it.
The New Mechitza
Israel’s publicly funded universities now offer gender-segregated programs to help the ultra-Orthodox earn degrees. But at what price?
More Five Books
Moment received an overwhelming response to our Big Question, in which we asked a group of rabbis, scholars, educators, authors and artists: What are five must-read books to be an educated Jew? We have been flooded with so many requests for more that we decided to continue the project. Every week, Moment will bring you a new set of recommendations, each from a unique perspective.
The Role of Orthodox Jews in Republican Politics
Orthodox Jews are Trump’s strongest—and only—reliable support base within the Jewish community. Polling shows that more than half of those identifying as Orthodox voted for Trump in 2016. The president also enjoys strong approval ratings within the Orthodox community since taking office. This unlikely political alliance, between a segment of the population focused on family values and religious insularity and the flamboyant New York businessman-turned-politician, has many explanations:
In ‘Soon By You,’ Leah Gottfried Tells Stories About Modern Orthodox Dating
When Soon By You, a comic web series, started its life as a 15-minute film in 2016, the prospect of a series seemed unattainable—though “it was certainly a dream.”
In ‘The Kingmaker,’ Lauren Greenfield Explores Rewritten Histories
“I’ve often had access to ‘inside worlds,’ whether it’s media or wealth or celebrity, where I’ve then taken a critical perspective.”
It’s Stephen Miller Time
The pressure was building, and Donald Trump didn’t like it one bit. It was the spring of 2017, and the still-new president was growing ever angrier. “Where’s my Roy Cohn?” Trump blurted out in frustration.
Not Your Grandmother’s Democratic Party
Many in the pro-Israel community joined for a collective oy vey moment last week when leading Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren added her voice to a growing choir of progressives threatening to use America’s aid to Israel as a means of influencing Israel’s policy in the West Bank. Looking at the Democratic field, here’s where we stand: Three of the four frontrunners are threatening to cut U.S. aid to Israel. Biden stands alone in his refusal to join.
Beshert | ‘Pardon Me, But Is This Seat Taken?’
A cute British man, my age, randomly met on a train in a foreign country (for me) that I wasn’t supposed to be on, shared my quirky passion!
‘Heavyweight’ Is a Podcast About Reconnecting With Your Past
In one episode, Goldstein explores his long-lost dream of becoming a rabbi; in another, he interviews his first girlfriend, trying to figure out where their relationship went wrong.
Opinion Interview | Steven Waldman on America’s Long Struggle for Religious Liberty
Most recently, Waldman says he’s alarmed by the level of bigotry faced by Muslims—often unnoticed by those who consider themselves “persecuted” by, say, gay couples wanting wedding cakes, but who see all Muslims as terrorists and oppose the construction of mosques.