Shira Hanau
By Shira Hanau
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Fast Forward DOJ letter argues NYC mayor is being unfairly strict with Orthodox Jews
(JTA) – A top Justice Department official sent a letter to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio last week that claims the mayor has enforced uneven social distancing rules that “favor certain secular gatherings and disfavor religious gatherings.” The letter, which was shared Tuesday by Agudath Israel, an organization representing haredi Orthodox Jews, specifically…
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News Jewish camp operators sue New York over ban, Orthodox leaders plan civil disobedience
(JTA) – Fresh off cutting the locks off a closed Brooklyn playground, leaders in New York City’s Orthodox community are turning their attention to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s ban on overnight camps, issued last week to keep the coronavirus pandemic in check. A lawsuit filed Thursday by the Association of Jewish Camp Operators, which represents dozens…
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Fast Forward NYC playgrounds will open next week, ending protests by Orthodox Jews
(JTA) – Just days after Orthodox lawmakers cut the chains off New York City playgrounds in defiance of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s orders, the mayor announced Thursday morning that playgrounds will reopen in the city starting Monday. The decision comes as the city moves into its second phase of reopening after shutting down in mid-March…
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Fast Forward Some New York City yeshivas are operating in the shadows
(JTA) – As Orthodox lawmakers were brazenly cutting the locks off a New York City playground on Tuesday morning, Orthodox children were settling in for a school day just nine blocks away. The classes at Yeshiva K’tana Torah Vodaath in Brooklyn were the first held in the school building since mid-March, when New York ordered…
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Fast Forward Cutting playground chains, NY Orthodox lawmakers escalate battle against closures
(JTA) – They protested the mayor’s decision to keep the parks closed on Sunday. By Monday, they vowed to cut the chains of the park gates themselves if Mayor Bill de Blasio didn’t accede to their requests. In a tweet Monday evening, New York State Sen. Simcha Felder said he and two other Orthodox lawmakers,…
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Fast Forward UJA-Federation New York announces 54 layoffs, CEO forgoes pay
(JTA) – In the last few months, UJA-Federation New York has awarded millions of dollars of emergency grants to help organizations survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it’s joining the ranks of organizations letting go of its own staff members as it anticipates declining donations. Its CEO, Eric Goldstein, will forgo a salary for the coming…
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Fast Forward Mrs. Maisel spent the summer there. Now it can be yours for Just $6M.
(JTA) – This upstate New York resort’s lake, bowling alleys and cabins were the setting for Mrs. Maisel’s Catskills summer retreat. Now it can be yours for a mere $6 million. The Scott Family Resort in Deposit, which has been operating for 150 years, is on the market. The owners had announced in a January…
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Fast Forward Prayer services get the OK in New York, but some Orthodox rabbis say wait
(JTA) – Despite Wednesday’s announcement that New York state will now allow religious services to resume with up to 10 people, some Orthodox rabbis are saying not so fast. A group of 27 Orthodox rabbis on suburban Long Island announced last night that they will not immediately resume in-person services. “Please continue to show the…
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