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While most students and faculty in the U.S. don’t experience widespread antisemitism, it remains a major problem for those who do. Nikita Payusov/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Antisemitism on campus is a real problem − but headlines and government‑proposed solutions don’t match the experience of most Jewish students

Jewish students who identify as politically liberal were especially likely to feel alienated and isolated on college campuses.
The ketubah is a binding document in Jewish law that traditionally spells out a groom’s responsibilities toward his wife − but that many couples adapt to be more egalitarian. PowerSiege/iStock via Getty Images Plus

From the marriage contract to breaking the glass under the chuppah, many Jewish couples adapt their weddings to celebrate gender equality

Traditional Jewish ceremonies, like Christian ones, marked a woman’s transition from daughter to wife − going from her parents to her husband. But there are creative ways to reflect gender equality while honoring tradition.
A hundred and one years before ‘You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah’ was released, the first American Bat Mitzvah took place. (Apple TV+/Disney+/Netflix via AP)

‘You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah’ speaks to the meaningful impact of religious rituals for Jewish girls

‘You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah’ may seem worlds apart from the growth and appeal of ‘by and for women only’ films produced by Orthodox Jewish women, but all these films share a focus on the potential of Jewish ritual.
Candles on a large Hanukkah menorah shine in front of a Christmas tree at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, in 2015. Gregor Fischer/picture alliance via Getty Images

Hanukkah celebrations have changed dramatically − but the same is true of Christmas

Assimilation no doubt played a role in making Hanukkah the commercialized holiday it is today. But other factors shaped the modern festival, too, a scholar of Jewish studies and gender explains.
Particularly for young Canadian Jews, a holiday meal achieves conviviality in the family and solidarity with the Jewish community, but its religious significance is less important than in the past. Makom/Facebook

Young, Canadian and Jewish: The shift from religious to cultural identity

A new survey of Canadian Jew suggests young adults are finding ways of remaining Jewish that are not principally religious.

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