This is the Forward’s coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its affect on Jewish communities around the world.
COVID-19
The Latest
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Fast Forward WHO pauses hydroxychloroquine studies over safety concerns
The World Health Organization announced Monday that it was pausing studies in multiple countries of hydroxychloroquine after an analysis of thousands of Covid-19 patients treated with the drug found that it was associated with a higher risk of death. The drug — an antimalarial that is also used routinely to treat rheumatoid arthritis — has…
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Fast Forward Hasidic school in upstate N.Y. operating with ‘hundreds of students inside’
(JTA) — A school in the Hasidic village of Kiryas Joel in New York was ordered to close after it was found operating with hundreds of students in its building. Orange County said in a statement that officials visiting the school last week “found what appeared to be hundreds of students inside, not wearing personal…
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Life 18 Tikkun Leyl Shavuot to help you celebrate the holiday — wherever you are
An often-overlooked spring holiday, Shavuot commemorates the moment when God gave the Torah to the Jewish people. For generations, Jews have celebrated with communal Torah study sessions, called “Tikkun Leyl Shavuot,” that last long into the night, often until dawn. Because of coronavirus, most tikkunim are taking place virtually this year. Although you can’t gather…
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Life How to celebrate Shavuot at home
Although Shavuot probably originated as a pre-Judaic agricultural festival marking the first harvest, for Jews the holiday commemorates God’s gift of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Shavuot takes place exactly seven weeks after Passover, on the day when, according to the Torah, God gave the Torah to the Jews. In ancient times, Jews combined appreciation…
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Yiddish World Amidst coronavirus pandemic, YIVO looks to the digital future
Read this article in Yiddish. Like stores, museums and theaters, archives and specialized libraries have struggled to adapt in the face of social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With staff and scholars unable to access their holdings and the public unable to attend in-person programming, many institutions have found themselves in a state of…
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Life A prophet in his own city: Jacob Kornbluh, the Hasidic reporter standing up for social-distancing
As a public service during this pandemic, the Forward is providing free, unlimited access to all coronavirus articles. If you’d like to support our independent Jewish journalism, click here. A group of about a hundred Hasidic men and boys milled about on a dark street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Boro Park, a gleam of…
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Opinion COVID has exploded Jewish LGBTQ acceptance online. There’s no going back.
Previous Article Next Article Last week, as part of a growing number of virtual speaking engagements, I had the privilege to give a talk to a few thousand Spanish speaking Jews from Latin America, through a program with Limud Buenos Aires. Among the texts and slides that I shared, I also showed a video of…
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Opinion Transforming the warmth of the Persian community into something new
Previous Article Next Article As an Iranian Jew, I take pride in the warmth, hospitality, and intense affection and love that is displayed in my community. We greet each other with two kisses and warm hugs. Grandparents do not gently kiss their grandchildren but inhale them with affection, often whispering “gorboonet beram,” — I will…
Most Popular
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Fast Forward Unarmed man who tackled Bondi Beach Hanukkah attacker identified as Ahmed al-Ahmed
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Fast Forward First Puka Nacua, now Mookie Betts: Why do sports stars keep getting antisemitic around a Jewish streamer?
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Fast Forward After MIT professor’s killing, Jewish influencers spread unverified antisemitism claim
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Opinion I grew up believing Australia was the best place to be Jewish. This Hanukkah shooting forces a reckoning I do not want.
In Case You Missed It
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Fast Forward Holocaust survivor event features a Rob Reiner video address — recorded just weeks before his death
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Fast Forward In Reykjavik, Hanukkah offers a chance for Iceland’s tiny, isolated Jewish community to come together
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Opinion When my children decorate for Hanukkah, I don’t just see pride. I see pluralism in action.
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Fast Forward ‘The most Australian name’: Matilda, the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach attack, embodies a nation’s grief
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