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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Yiddish World Yiddish-speaking Harlem pastor, William Richard Harrel Jr, has died
Read this article in Yiddish. William Richard Harrel Jr, the African-American Harlem pastor, who was well-known in Brooklyn’s Hasidic community for his appearances in videos and skits that demonstrated his knowledge of Yiddish, died last week at the age 63 of coronavirus. Besides his longtime service as a pastor in Harlem, Harrel had another vocation,…
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Community ‘We were in uncharted territory,’ burying my friend in the time of social distancing
Two weeks ago, my friend — a pillar of our community, a father, a husband, and a true mensch — who was successfully fighting cancer, fell sick with coronavirus, and died just 24 hours later. Mourning his loss and comforting his family proved to be some of the most difficult moments of my 28-year career…
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Fast Forward Hasidic doctor touting controversial drug has emails examined by Justice Dept. prosecutors
Federal prosecutors are examining emails between Dr. Vladimir “Zev” Zelenko — a Hasidic doctor touting the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19 — and a right-wing political commentator, the Washington Post reported. Zelenko is currently collaborating with Jerome Corsi, a commentator best known for propagating the falsehood that President Barack Obama was born…
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Culture Coronavirus makes May Day a moment for radical action — and hope
On May 1, employees at several major companies, including Amazon, Whole Foods, Target and Instacart, will stage a one-day walkout. At the same time, tenants in cities across the United States will begin a rent strike, predicted to be one of the largest the country has ever seen. The workers’ concerns: Lack of adequate paid…
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Fast Forward NYPD disperses Hasidic crowd in chaotic scene at Borough Park funeral
A chaotic scene formed in Borough Park Thursday afternoon as police officers tried to disperse a crowd of onlookers who gathered to watch a funeral procession for a Hasidic man. The incident, which occurred at the corner of 13th Avenue and 43rd Street, came as police officers in both Borough Park and Williamsburg issued dozens…
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News He made the call to cancel summer camp for 10,000 kids. Here’s what he has to say.
Ruben Arquilevich is a Jewish summer camp guy. He says his life was shaped by Jewish summer camp. Over the past three decades, he’s been a camper, a counselor, a professional staffer and the director of a Jewish summer camp. He met his wife at Jewish summer camp. He sent his kids to Jewish summer…
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Opinion We canceled camp. We’re crying, too.
I let myself cry today. For weeks during the shelter in place, I’ve been emotionally stuck in turmoil. You see, I’m an overnight Jewish camp director. This was to be my eighth summer on staff at Camp Newman and my 16th overall at Jewish camp. On May 31, we were to begin training staff for…
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Fast Forward It’s Official: URJ summer camp is canceled due to COVID
(JTA) — All Reform Jewish summer camps will remain closed for the 2020 summer due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency has learned. Related story: He made the call to cancel summer camp for 10,000 kids. Here’s what he has to say. The landmark decision, made Thursday afternoon, will affect 16 overnight…
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Fast Forward Why some Satmar Hasidic leaders endorsed Zohran Mamdani as mayor, stunning many Jewish voters
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Sports It’s so cool that Sandy Koufax was there for that
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Opinion I’m an Israeli who lives in New York. Here’s why I’m voting for Mamdani
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News Mamdani opposes Zionism, but wants New York public schools to teach about it
In Case You Missed It
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Fast Forward Remains of Omer Neutra, Israeli-American hostage killed on Oct. 7, are returned to Israel
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News A century before Mamdani, this Jewish socialist mayoral candidate divided NYC Jews
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Fast Forward Zohran Mamdani, Muslim Democratic NYC candidate, looms large at Republican Jewish confab
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Fast Forward Why some Satmar Hasidic leaders endorsed Zohran Mamdani as mayor, stunning many Jewish voters
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