31 May
From the Archive, Jewish World

From 2001 | The Gay Orthodox Underground

In 2001 Moment published an article about the underground gay community among Orthodox Jews. This piece by Naomi Grossman remains relevant today, as the tensions represented in the article continue to make headlines. Whether exemplified by Yeshiva University's banning of its LGBT student organization or hardline anti-gay activist Avi Maoz's role in the current Israeli government, the friction between Orthodox Judaism and LGBTQ+ Jews is ongoing. Hopefully this piece will provide some context on the history of this discordant relationship and some insights on its future. To see this article in its original context, click here. “Jonathan” and “David” are observant Jews. They belong to the same Orthodox synagogue in New York City. From time to time, other synagogue members invite them to Shabbat lunch. Periodically, Jonathan and David host a fam- ily for Shabbat in the Manhattan...

Continue reading

09 Aug
Culture, Latest

Kosher Couture

by Daniela Enriquez One of the obstacles Orthodox women face is finding a good "kosher" fashion line, that is wearable and respectful of tradition. Designer Marina Rahlin is easing the sartorial woes of Orthodox women with MaRa, her line of Orthodox-friendly fashion. Rahlin was born in the Ukraine, and made aliyah with her family when she was four years old. She now lives in Los Angeles, where the new line has been released. Below is a lightly edited transcript of the conversation I had with Rahlin about her life, her love for Pop art and her new line. When and why did you decide to create MaRa? I started my first line, Popavina, after attending a school for fashion designers in Los Angeles. Later on I met my fiancé, whose family is religious: his father, his brother and his...

Continue reading