Philissa Cramer
By Philissa Cramer
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Fast Forward Meet the Jewish day school teacher who wagered $18 on ‘Jeopardy!’ and won $50,000
(JTA) — Astute viewers could find plenty of signs during the recent “Jeopardy!” Teachers Tournament that one leading contestant had some Jewish bona fides. There was the fact that Meggie Kwait teaches at Beit Rabban Day School, a Jewish school on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. There was her covered hair, rare among game-show contestants but…
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Fast Forward Rumor that a L.A. Chabad is fueling Antifa gets spread by White House
(JTA) — A Los Angeles synagogue found itself having to deny misinformation about the George Floyd protests after a rumor spread — and was briefly amplified by the White House — that its security barriers were actually tools for looters. Chabad of Sherman Oaks installed vertical barriers filled with rocks last year in a move…
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Fast Forward Massachusetts rabbis say synagogues should not rush to reopen
(JTA) — Rabbis in Massachusetts say they are not rushing to open their synagogues even though the state’s governor has said houses of worship may resume services. Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, included houses of worship in the first phase of Massachusetts’ plan to resume operations after bringing coronavirus infections under control. He announced Monday…
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Fast Forward Lag B’Omer is traditionally a day of weddings but now there’s social distancing
(JTA) — In late April, police in London and Chicago broke up splashy Jewish weddings that far exceeded the number of people allowed under social distancing rules. Since then, no weddings have made the Jewish news — but that could change in the next day. That’s because tonight begins Lag b’Omer, a holiday when observant Jews get…
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Fast Forward Kosher meals now available as part of NYC’s hunger relief efforts
(JTA) — New York City is now distributing kosher food through the meals program launched to keep city residents fed during the current coronavirus-induced upheaval. The city began giving out three meals a day to children and their family members after schools closed in mid-March. In early April, the city began offering the meals to…
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Fast Forward Ramah in the Rockies avoids layoffs after receiving federal grant
(JTA) — The staff at Ramah in the Rockies got a rare bit of good news on Tuesday: Just days after applying for a grant designed to help small businesses weather the coronavirus-induced financial crisis, the Jewish summer camp had been approved. The organization had applied for the grant, made available as part of the…
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News Aron Halpern, 90, survived the Holocaust and thrived in the United States
Editor’s note: The Forward, in collaboration with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Jewish media outlets around the world, is sharing obituaries of people in the Jewish community who have died from the coronavirus or ensuing complications. Learn more here. (JTA) — Aron Halpern barely survived the Holocaust before making his way to the United States,…
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Fast Forward Headquarters of Chabad movement, iconic ‘770’ building, closes for first time
The international Chabad movement, one of modern Judaism’s most powerful forces for the dissemination of Jewish culture and practice, has closed its iconic headquarters for the first time, citing the spread of coronavirus and the illness of residents in its Crown Heights, Brooklyn neighborhood. The closure happened “in accordance with the order of the rabbis…
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