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 New York Times gets slammed for highlighting fact that Israel Defense Forces kills people
A New York Times article published Thursday about the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli military contractors’ efforts to devise a cure for the novel coronavirus attracted criticism on social media for pointing out that many of their prior developments had deadly capabilities. “The Israeli Defense Ministry’s research-and-development arm is best known for pioneering cutting-edge ways…
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News UJA funds COVID tests in a school and on a playground
UJA-Federation of New York and Brightpoint Health, a community health center, are offering COVID-19 testing in schools and a playground in Brooklyn and the Bronx starting Friday. The testing is by appointment only, and patients must be showing symptoms and have a temperature above 100.5 degrees, or must be essential workers. “Testing is a critical…
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Fast Forward At least 1,300 French Jews have died of COVID-19
(JTA) — At least 1,300 members of France’s Jewish community have died of COVID-19, the country’s Jewish burial service said. The French chevra kadisha, the Jewish term for those who provide Jewish burial services, reported the figure this week after declining to disclose any numbers since the outbreak of the pandemic in France in March,…
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Opinion Coronavirus lockdown meant a break from shidduch pressure — until it didn’t
I’m expecting my cap and gown in the mail any day now, and that is not a sentence I ever thought I’d write. In fact, a lot of unexpected things have been happening lately. Unprecedented things. Which is why I was startled to receive an email from my university the other day regarding an upcoming…
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Fast Forward For those in the process of becoming Jewish, the pandemic means delayed, altered conversions
(JTA) — Renee Godinez had completed nearly all the steps to becoming Jewish before the coronavirus pandemic descended earlier this spring. She had studied extensively with Rabbi Rick Winer of Temple Beth Israel in Fresno, California, and adopted Jewish practices in her life. All that was missing was a ceremony to mark the end of…
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News Besieged de Blasio accused of double standards over social distancing enforcement
First he was accused of anti-Semitism for his crackdown on a Hasidic funeral last week in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Days later he navigated claims of racism after the New York Police Department made violent arrests of young men of color for not following social distancing regulations. On Thursday night, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office released data…
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Life The not-so-secret Jewish history of Neiman Marcus
For decades the department store Neiman Marcus, which on Thursday filed for bankruptcy, was known for its Fantasy Gift Guide, a lavish Christmas catalogue calculated to appeal to the uber-wealthy. Highlights from he 2019 catalogue include a Moet & Chandon vending machine ($35,000, champagne not included) and consultations with streetwear experts famous among people who…
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Community ‘Let us each find a way to remain committed to sustaining the Jewish people’
In this new era of virtual reunions, my rabbinical school classmates recently started a Whatsapp group. Ten weeks ago, we started with personal news, some joyous and some sorrowful. Conversation was lighthearted, rabbis in the field enjoying some rare moments of social connection. Little did we know, little did all of us know, how quickly…
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Most Popular
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Theater Why is everyone laughing at Anne Frank?
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Opinion It’s time for the pro-Palestinian movement to make a radical change
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Film & TV How a complete unknown created one of the most iconic music events of the 1970’s
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Opinion Trump drew Arab leaders into a historic peace agreement. Too bad about the one glaring caveat
In Case You Missed It
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News Should synagogues remove the Israeli flag from bimahs now?
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Books The Lakers were about to shock the NBA. But Shabbat had to end first.
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Fast Forward As Greenpoint’s Jewish community grows, so does this shul’s Hebrew school
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Fast Forward Prominent NYC rabbi urges congregants to vote against Zohran Mamdani in Shabbat sermon
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