This is the Forward’s coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its affect on Jewish communities around the world.
COVID-19
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Yiddish World Kiryas Yoel Hatzoloh: Shut all synagogues, yeshivas, schools and mikvahs!
Read this article in Yiddish Hatzolah of Kiryas Joel, the upstate New York Hasidic town of Palm Tree’s volunteer ambulance corps, released a poster in Yiddish Tuesday warning residents to close all communal institutions including synagogues. As a public service during this pandemic, the Forward is providing free, unlimited access to all coronavirus articles. If…
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Culture Socially distancing? Join the Forward’s book club, and connect.
Dear reader: I hope you’ll join me in a new project we’re launching: The Forward Book Club. For me, it’s a way to combine something I love (reading) with something I crave (connection in a time of crisis). We’re going to start with a book that’s perfect for this moment: “The Bread Givers,” by Anzia…
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News To preserve life, most Orthodox Jews submit, and sacrifice religious life
Hana Cohen’s apartment in Borough Park has a view onto the heavily Orthodox neighborhood’s 12th Avenue thoroughfare. There is a yeshiva, a daycare, a small synagogue, a restaurant. Tuesday, it was business as usual, with class in session and people shopping. Wednesday was different. “Usually there’s kids playing by the street, there’s mothers on the…
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News Watch: White House calls Hasidic leaders, asking them to take virus more seriously
An assistant to the president called on rabbis and leaders of the Orthodox community to help reduce gatherings of more than ten people to prevent the spread of coronavirus, according to video and audio recordings sent to the Forward. Religious leaders asked questions on Tuesday about how to safely hold minyanim, including having them outside,…
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Yiddish World All YIVO online classes are now free of charge
Read this article in Yiddish As COVID-19 continues to affect individuals and societies around the world, the YIVO Institute for Jewish research has decided to offer all its online courses free of charge. “YIVO wants to help keep our spirits lifted and provide content to sustain our minds and souls,” said Jonathan Brent, YIVO’s Executive…
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Life How to fulfill the Torah’s commandment for optimism in the darkest times
There is a lot of confusion and doubt in these “coronavirus days.” That’s especially the case within the Jewish community, where optimism has always played a large role in how we live — even in the face of some of the harshest realities. Synagogues, mikvehs, schools and yeshivas have suspended all activities, going against our…
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Yiddish זיך וואַשן די הענט — אַ גאָר אַלטע ייִדישע מסורהHandwashing – a venerable Jewish ritual
דאָס װאָס די כּהנים האָבן זיך געװאַשן די הענט פֿאַרן טאָן די עבֿודה איז דער ערשטער משל פֿון זיך ריטועל װאַשן די הענט בײַ ייִדן.
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Fast Forward How one synagogue is staying open: Staggered prayer times
Synagogues around the country have shut their doors to daily because of the coronavirus pandemic, but some, particularly among Hasidic and other Orthodox strains of Judaism, are taking extraordinary measures to find ways to stay open. One Orthodox synagogue in Lakewood, New Jersey — which has one of the highest concentrations of Jews in the…
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Opinion Outrage over Nicholas Kristof’s op-ed on sexual assault of Palestinians is missing the point
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News They texted about Torah and mitzvahs. Feds say they were insider trading
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Culture At Eurovision, Israel’s near triumph shows the limits of tolerance
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Opinion I run The Jewish Theological Seminary. Here’s the real story about President Isaac Herzog speaking at our commencement
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Fast Forward What Tuesday’s primaries tell us about Democrats, Republicans and the Israel issue
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Fast Forward AOC and other leading Democrats condemn Texas congressional candidate Maureen Galindo over antisemitic rhetoric
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Fast Forward Pennsylvania’s Jewish governor, Josh Shapiro, faces Trump-backed challenger in reelection bid