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May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting
May 13, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation

David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church

Emily Alpert: Recession dragged down birth rates for less-educated women
Morgan Housel: The deep downside of home ownership

Peter Teffer: Will Dutch police soon be stalking cybercriminals on your computer?

Heidi McIndoo, M.S., R.D.: Meatless 'meat' can have its own set of problems

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate! This must-try appetizer is delicate yet has depth of flavor: Corn-Leek Cakes with Caviar, Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche

May 10, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be

Caroline B. Glick: The dirty little secret about Israel's Arabs

Mona Charen: Hawking's Moral Calculus: The man and the movement he embraces
Morgan Housel: The biggest retirement myth ever told

Sandi Doughton: Eyes may provide new insight into brain problems

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : The Great Gatsby's Jewish Ties; Jews in the "Time 100 list" List; People's Most Beautiful Women

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: A sweet-hot meal: Pear salsa spices up salmon

May 8, 2013

Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas

Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate

Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
Amanda Paulson: Study reveals sad truths about community colleges

Harvard Health Letters: Evidence weak that zinc, echinacea are beneficial

The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility

May 6, 2013

Edmund Sanders and Patrick J. McDonnell: Think Israel's objective in Syria is to weaken Assad or embolden the rebels? Think again

Brian Bennett: Israeli airstrikes may show weakness in Syrian defense

Michael Ollove: Millions of ex-felons, parolees and those on probation are about to be entitled to tax-payer paid health coverage
Karen Kaplan: Most men can skip PSA test for prostate cancer, urologists say

Kimberly Lankford: How to track down a lost life insurance policy

Dream of Mars exploration achievable, experts say

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan M. Selasky: EGGPLANT WRAPS are an easy, sumptuous and scrumptious meal

May 3, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Human Courage and the Unavoidable, Disturbing Text

Steven Emerson: Attorney General Fights CAIR in Court, Lauds it in Public

Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study
Harvard Health Letters: When to be screened for a hearing problem

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Iron Man's Jewish Connections; Marc Maron's New TV Show; Martin Landau Grows Up with Israel; Shalom, Allan Arbus

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: A sweet surprise for Mother's Day dessert

May 1, 2013

Jonathan Rosenblum: An Improbable Journey to Orthodoxy

Jonathan Tobin: Blame Obama, Not Israel for Syria Push

Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Halena M. Gazelka, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: What you need to know about implanted pain relief devices

Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine

Jessica Shugart: When it comes to math, MRIs may be better than IQs

The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The celebrated chef on how high-maintenance ASPARAGUS RISOTTO need not be

April 29, 2013

Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust

Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?

Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Morgan Housel: He's rich, smart and old: Listen to him

Thomas Salinas, D.D.S.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: The safety of amalgam fillings

Harvard Health Letters: Tomatoes and stroke protection

Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Swing into spring with lemon cream pie

April 26, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The world is a mirror

Caroline B. Glick: Time to confront Obama

Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Kimberly Lankford: New strategies ease pain of paying for long-term care insurance

Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Too much ibuprofen?

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Major Leaguers, 2013; New Movies and Comedy Show; Shalom, 'Lumpy' (Leave it to Beaver)

The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : A bright and cheerful salad to herald the warmer months ahead

April 24, 2013

Steven Emerson: Boston Bomber Exposes Islamist Secret

Morgan Housel Admit it: No one has any idea what's going on
Harvard Health Letters: Can you get headaches from headache medication?

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to easily get more Omega-3s in your diet

Melissa Healy: Pot in a pill: All the pain relief without the smoke

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan Russo: Chipotle Chili Butternut Squash Soup is bold, zesty, hot

April 22, 2013

Ken Dilanian: Counterterrorism's future is unclear

US man departing country arrested on terror charges
Barbara Williams: An unorthodox but growing treatment in a 9-year-old's battle against cancer

P.J. Skerrett, M.D.: How to recognize a good whole grain product

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Teen actor Jonah Bobo in New Flick: Hunky James Wolk on Mad Men; Erich Segal's Daughter Writes Prize-Winning Jewish Novel


Jewish World Review August 30, 2004 / 13 Elul, 5764

Religious mall rats?

By Gabriella Burman


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Retailers are hoping to boost $ales by catering to the modest crowd


http://www.jewishworldreview.com | For years, Orthodox Jewish girls and women seeking modest dress have lamented the sexy fashions that dominate the racks at local department stores. Particularly in the Orthodox community, many have turned to seamstresses, catalogues and out-of-town stores to make or purchase modest clothing. Now, a national backlash against sexy fashion may be developing, according to youth-trend consulting companies, which have released reports confirming that young women are increasingly covering up.


In May, Blue Fusion polled 200 women 14 to 18 and found that many are favoring more modest looks.


For example, a frustrated young shopper in Washington State recently made headlines when she took Nordstrom to task for stocking clothes that she said leave a girl "half naked." And in Atlanta, two metro area fashion shows produced by Christian youth groups in April drew 1,500 parents and daughters.


At Nordstrom, company executives promised the 11-year old Washington shopper, Ella Gunderson, that they would provide a greater variety of less-revealing fashions.


The news prompted Rachel and Abbey Lewis of Atlanta to go shopping at Nordstrom at Perimeter Mall with their mother, Sydney.


"They wanted to see if the store made good on the promise," said Sydney Lewis.


But because the racks in the junior department are still overflowing with summer fashions such as backless halter tops and micro mini skirts, Rachel, a rising 9th grader at Temima High School for Girls, and Abbey, a rising 8th grader at Torah Day School of Atlanta, each went home with a long-sleeve jacket that could be paired with a T-shirt.

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In accordance with the dress code at both girls' schools, the sisters dress modestly, wearing skirts that fall below the knees, and shirts that cover the collarbone and elbows.


"It's very hard to find things," said Abbey, as she thumbed through cap-sleeved T-shirts with plunging necklines. A pretty halter dress with a black and pink pattern caught her eye, but altering an outfit, she said, can sometimes cost more than the item itself. A fitted pink tank top to be worn under a jacket was deemed "too tight" by her mother.


Rachel had a more optimistic take on the excursion. "I'll find a way to make something work," she said. "If I go home with one thing, it's been a successful trip."


Rachel, who favors Old Navy, says she admires Gunderson for her actions. "It's bold to say 'Look, I'm different,' and not try to fit in.' "


Orthodox women and girls are not alone in their disdain for the stretchy, barely there clothing that has been in vogue for several years.


Rabbi Julie Schwartz of Reform Temple Emanu-El in Atlanta is equally appalled by what she sees in high-end stores. "It's terrible what's shown," said Schwartz, who has three daughters, ages 6, 11 and 17. "I won't give those stores my money."


She explains that while the Reform movement does not adopt dress codes the way Orthodoxy does, and recognizes that "we are allowed to enjoy our physical attributes," it discourages adherents from relating to people based on those attributes.


Personally, she added, "I'm against clothes whose objective is to objectify the female body."


Schwartz says she finds more appropriate clothing at Kohl's, a Wisconsin-based retailer that describes itself as "family-focused" and "value-oriented," carrying clothing manufactured by kid-friendly companies such as Nickelodeon.


"It has a broader selection," Schwartz said.


But even at Kohl's, some customers find themselves leaving the store and heading to the seamstress — or the sewing machine.


Temima's business administrator, Ruth Kaplan, whose three daughters are 8, 14 and 21, has become a "pretty good seamstress," she says, closing up slits in skirts and adding kick pleats.


Other families shop in New York, Miami and Baltimore, where there is more demand for stores carrying modest items, or get together with friends to mass order from a store or catalogue and split the shipping costs. Still others turn to Trudi Robbins, whose in-home boutique on Houston Mill Road sells special occasion modest dresses as well as a $30 Plugg Jeans Co. denim skirt that has recently been the rage at Torah Day.


"They're flying off the shelves," said Robbins, mother of an 8-year old daughter.


With higher waistlines, layered looks and lower hemlines on deck for the fall, youth culture experts expect the modesty trend to continue, enabling these local families to set aside their alternative shopping strategies and return to the shopping centers.


Ed Burstell, the general manager of Henri Bendel in New York City, told the New York Times that revealing fashions are "just done."


Gigi Solif Schanen, fashion editor at Seventeen magazine, agreed. "People are tired of seeing so much skin and want to leave a little to the imagination," she told USA Today. Robbins certainly hopes so. Because as it stands now, she says, what they're selling now "makes me want to stay out of the mall." .

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

Gabriella Burman is News Editor at the Atlanta Jewish Times. Comment by clicking here.






© 2004, Atlanta Jewish Times