Posts By PHYLLIS BRAUN - AJP Executive Editor

Amid pandemic, Jewish groups get creative for Shavuot festivities

Health care staff at Jerusalem's Hadassah hospital participate in the Days of Gratitude project, holding up signs in Hebrew and Arabic reading "Thank you for taking care of yourself," "Thank you for coming to work" and Thank you for your dedication." (Courtesy of M2)
May 27, 2020 / Larry Luxner, JTA

When Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg’s husband, Dave Goldberg, died suddenly during a 2015 vacation to Mexico, Sandberg found solace in Jewish tradition. “One of the ways you find strength is to remember what is still good in your life,” Sandberg said. During the coronavirus crisis, actress, scientist and author… Read more »

It is time for Hasidic leaders to embrace the internet
May 27, 2020 / Frimet Goldberger, JTA

SUFFERN, N.Y. (JTA) — My two children, aged 13 and 15, attend daily Zoom classes from designated corners of our suburban home. Slovenly habits aside, their workspaces are virtual classrooms in which they analyze George Orwell’s work and ponder Talmudic passages in equal measure. Online classes — the ones they… Read more »

I started watching this German rabbi praying alone early in the pandemic, and I couldn’t stop

Rabbi Zsolt Balla prays alone in his synagogue in Leipzig, Germany, during the coronavirus crisis. (Facebook screenshot)
May 27, 2020 / Ben Harris, JTA

(JTA) — On a Friday early in the coronavirus crisis, isolated in my apartment and facing the first of what would be many weekends with only Netflix for companionship, I came across a live Facebook video of Rabbi Zsolt Balla praying alone from the pulpit of his synagogue in… Read more »

The millennial rabbis behind @Modern_Ritual use Instagram to make Judaism accessible

(@Modern_Ritual on Instagram)
May 27, 2020 / Rachel Sherman

This story originally appeared on Alma. Clapping 👏hands 👏emojis, millennial pink table runners, and glittered Shabbat candles fill a colorful grid on Modern Ritual, the Jewish educational Instagram page run by rabbis Rena Singer and Samantha Frank. Rena and Samantha, “Sam,” are challenging stereotypes and calming anxieties around coronavirus… Read more »

The Syrian frittata you will make again and again

(Stephanie Hanan)
May 27, 2020 / Stephanie Hanan

This recipe originally appeared on The Nosher. Spinach jibn is a traditional Syrian way to prepare vegetables, akin to a crustless quiche. It’s most common to find it with spinach, but you can also make it with zucchini or other vegetables you may have around. It’s healthy and kid-friendly,… Read more »

The coronavirus didn’t just upend Broadway — it put all kinds of indie projects in limbo

The release of Emma Seligman's indie film "Shiva Baby" was delayed because of the coronavirus. (Sharon Attia)
May 27, 2020 / Curt Schleier, JTA

(JTA) — Emma Seligman is trying to stay optimistic. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the 25-year-old came extremely close to fulfilling every film student’s fantasy: having her debut indie film played at coveted festivals and becoming an up-and-coming name to know in the industry. Her film “Shiva Baby” involves both… Read more »

Synagogues demur as Trump demands that states let houses of worship reopen

People protesting to allow churches to reopen in San Diego, May 1, 2020. (Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images)
May 22, 2020 / Josefin Dolsten, Philissa Cramer, JTA

(JTA) — President Donald Trump wants synagogues and other houses of worship to open their doors — but many Jewish leaders say his pressure won’t affect their timelines. The president went on the offensive Friday, telling governors that he would override them to require houses of worship to be… Read more »

Joe Biden to Jewish donors: ‘I do not support annexation,’ will reverse Trump policies on Israel and the Palestinians

Joe Biden speaks at a coronavirus virtual town hall from his home in Wilmington, Del., April 08, 2020. (Screengrab from JoeBiden.com via Getty Images)
May 21, 2020 / Ron Kampeas, JTA

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Joe Biden said that as president he would reverse Trump administration policies that have led to Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank. “I do not support annexation,” the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee told Jewish donors on Tuesday during a fundraising webinar. “I’m going… Read more »

Jewish Republicans tackle a thorny question: What to do about Republicans like Steve King?

Rep. Steve King of Iowa speaks to an audience member ahead of a campaign rally at Drake University in Des Moines, Jan. 30, 2020. (Tom Brenner/Getty Images)
May 20, 2020 / Ron Kampeas, JTA

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Republican Jewish Coalition is best known for scorching ads challenging the pro-Israel credentials of Democratic candidates. This election cycle, however, it is leading the charge against a GOP congressman: Steve King of Iowa. After years of flirting with white nationalists, King in January 2019 came… Read more »

A Jewish camp in Maine is actually opening. Here’s how it plans to keep COVID-19 away.

Campers playing on the water at Camp Modin. The camp is perhaps the first Jewish camp in the country to announce, in detail, how it plans to open. (Courtesy of Camp Modin)
May 20, 2020 / Ben Sales, JTA

(JTA) — Here’s a story that would have been unremarkable until just a few months ago: A Jewish camp is planning to open this summer. Camp Modin in Maine has announced that it will open July 9 — two weeks later than originally planned — despite the ongoing COVID-19… Read more »

Objects hidden by Auschwitz prisoners discovered during restoration work
May 20, 2020 / Marcy Oster, JTA

(JTA) — Utensils, tools and scraps of leather were found in a prisoners’ block at Auschwitz during renovation and restoration work. The objects were discovered last month hidden beneath a chimney flue in block 17 of the main camp, Austria’s National Fund for Victims of National Socialism told the… Read more »

Most Israelis infected with COVID-19 had strain that originated in US
May 20, 2020 / Marcy Oster, JTA

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Most Israelis who had the COVID-19 virus were infected with a strain that originated in the United States. About 70% of the infected patients were infected by Americans visiting Israel or by Israelis who brought the virus back with them from the United States, according to… Read more »

Abbas ends Palestinians’ agreements with Israel, including security cooperation
May 19, 2020 / Ron Kampeas, JTA

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declared an end to all agreements with Israel, including security cooperation, effectively turning over to Israel’s government the running of the entire West Bank. “The Palestine Liberation Organization and the State of Palestine are absolved, as of today, of all the… Read more »