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Henri Kichka, 94, Educated Belgian Schoolchildren About The Holocaust
(JTA) — Henri Kichka was nearly broken by the Holocaust. His father died in Buchenwald at the war’s end after a death march. His mother and two sisters perished in 1942, having been sent straight to Auschwitz. Kichka was the lone survivor, and he emerged from the war distant and pessimistic, undergoing long periods of…
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Meryl Cohen, 84, Hosted Epic Family Thanksgiving Celebrations
BOSTON (JTA) – Ask those knew Meryl Cohen best and it won’t take long before they start talking about Thanksgiving. The large, weekend-long gatherings became her calling, showcasing Cohen’s culinary talents and reflecting her passion for bringing together an ever-widening circle of extended family, friends and new acquaintances fortunate enough to snag an invite. Cohen…
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How LA’s Orthodox Jews averted the worst of the pandemic
An outbreak at a synagogue in the Fairfax/La Brea early in the pandemic may ultimately have saved lives
The Latest
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Love in the time of coronavirus
Bella Staav and Jonathan Sunshine arrived at Holmby Park wearing the accessories du jour in the Time of Coronavirus, a face mask and gloves. What set them apart was their formal attire, which had the whiff of a special occasion. Holmby Park is a verdant oasis in Los Angeles, not far from Beverly Hills, the…
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In Minnesota, an ancient Jewish mandate gives impetus to rent breaks
When coronavirus shut down Minnesota, Aaron Berc kept hearing story after story about people that could no longer pay their rent if they wanted to feed their families. As a community organizer for the St. Paul-based social justice organization Jewish Community Action, he had also been exploring how Jewish text study could bolster his organizing…
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Love online in the time of quarantine is oddly old-fashioned
The Facebook post opens like this: “I present to you: your bubbie’s wet dream.” He’s a nice Jewish boy over six feet tall. He’s crushing it at his hedge fund. He volunteers in his spare time. And he will make you the best pancakes you’ve ever had — if you sleep over. If you’re ever…
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A Community Iftar Gathers Muslims and Jews Virtually
It was during the traditional Muslim call to prayer when Rabbi Tova Leibovic-Douglas found herself becoming emotional. “I kept thinking about my Muslim friends who were not in one space with their family or friends for Ramadan and how beautiful and painful our world is,” she said. The rabbi was one of over 1400 participants…
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Enrique Mugica Herzog, 88, First Jew To Serve In Spanish Government Since Inquisition
(JTA) — Enrique Mugica Herzog, a former political prisoner who became the first Jew to serve in a Spanish government since the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, died of the coronavirus on April 10. He was 88. In the early 1980s, Mugica played a pivotal role in talks that led to the establishment…
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Synagogue for sale: What does coronavirus mean for this historic building?
For the last year, one of Dr. Michael Bukstein’s duties as synagogue president for B’nai Sholom Temple, the oldest synagogue in the state of Illinois, has been trying to sell its beautiful and unique building. Located in the small city of Quincy, the building is in a neo-Byzantine style of architecture, with detailed brickwork and…
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Marnin Soltes, 76, Sweet Soul Who Loved Music
(JTA) — Whenever anyone stopped by his room at the Hebrew Association for Special Children in Brooklyn, Marnin Soltes would show them his extensive, impeccably organized record recollection. He especially liked American folk and blues from the ‘50s and ‘60s. “His favorite singer songwriter was Josh White, and his favorite song was ‘Foggy, Foggy Dew,’”…
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‘Camp is my home’: What cancelled summers mean to kids, parents and camps
The 10,000 children who attend the Reform Movement’s sleepaway camps learned on Thursday that coronavirus had cancelled their summer. The news left some devastated, but the impact on children, their families and the camps themselves has just started to unfold. “Camp is always the best part of my summer!” wrote a girl named Hanna Pearce…
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