Trump Demands That Governors Reopen Houses of Worship – The New York Times
admin | May 23, 2020
Some White House officials suggest deaths are overcounted. Experts disagree
Houses Of Worship May Be Reopening, But I’ll Continue To Pray At Home. Where It’s Safe – WBUR
admin | May 23, 2020
There is so much I miss about going to Friday night Shabbat services at my temple,Temple Isaiah of Lexington, in suburban Boston. First, there are the greetings we receive.In the pre-pandemic world, our clergy stood at the doors leading to the sanctuary, offering hugs and pecks on the cheek. Our family has been members for more than a decade.
Back to shul: Worshipers return to houses of prayer for first time in 2 months – The Times of Israel
admin | May 22, 2020
Religious worshipers returned to synagogues, mosques and churches for the first time in almost two months Wednesday morning, as houses of prayer across the country reopened under new coronavirus guidelines.
Missouri’s old in-person voting rules risks lives. My Jewish faith supports life and absentee voting. – NBC News
admin | May 22, 2020
For as long as I can remember I understood that religious observance entailed obligation.
Receiving the Torah This Shavuot in Living Rooms Around the World – Tips on how to read the Ten Commandments at home, inspiration for the holiday,…
admin | May 22, 2020
Even as the world takes baby steps towards reopening the economy and returning to a semblance of business as usual, its clear that many will remain shut in for some time and that many communal institutions, including some synagogues, will remain closed for the foreseeable future. To serve those shut in for Shavuot, which begins this year at sunset on Thursday, May 28 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, May 30, the Chabad.org editorial team has created a cornucopia of tools and resources to help them celebrate and relive the Sinai experience in their own living rooms
Cops break up ‘large gathering’ at Orthodox synagogue in Brooklyn – New York Post
admin | May 21, 2020
The NYPD broke up a gathering of about 100 people at a Brooklyn synagogue Wednesday morning while responding to a 311 complaint, police and the mayors office said. The officers responded to a call shortly before 8 a.m. at the Congregation Yetev Lev Satmar Ohel Feiga on South 8th Street near Bedford Avenue and found the gathering, according to cops.
Joy, fear and sorrow mix for Italian Jews returning to synagogue J. – The Jewish News of Northern California
admin | May 21, 2020
The tables were still covered with open copies of the Book of Esther when Rabbi Yigal Chazan reentered his Milan synagogue this week. The scripture is read during Purim, the Jewish holiday that took place more than two months ago
After months of enforced distancing, worshipers return to Jerusalem’s synagogues – Haaretz
admin | May 21, 2020
Anyone entering the Shtiblach Katamon synagogue on Hahish Street in Jerusalem gets a strange feeling. The dust on the benches is heartbreaking. The clocks on the walls, which are an hour behind because there was nobody to switch them to summer time, added to the depressing atmosphere.
Conn. Reopens, and Some Worship to Resume in N.Y. – The New York Times
admin | May 21, 2020
Reopening begins in Connecticut. Connecticut, which has been less affected by the coronavirus than neighboring New York, took the biggest step toward restarting its dormant economy on Wednesday, allowing restaurants, stores and malls to reopen, with significant limits.
Prayer with masks and no singing returns to synagogues in Italy, Germany – The Jerusalem Post
admin | May 21, 2020
As life in Europe ground to a shuddering halt when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, so too did religious life, including communal prayer, study and celebrations for Jewish communities across the continent.But, with several countries opening back up after a steep reduction in the number of daily COVID-19 cases, communities in Italy and Germany are now able to return to their synagogues and some semblance of communal life is restarting.Synagogues in Italy, one of the hardest-hit countries in the world, opened again on Monday, albeit with strict government restrictions for how to operate, while synagogues in some German cities have been open since the beginning of May with similar restrictions.In Rome, morning prayers on Monday in the citys great synagogue were attended by some 80 worshipers, its maximum capacity under the current regulations, while several other synagogues in the city also opened their doors.Others were forced to remain outside due to the restrictions on the number of people allowed in the synagogue, which in normal times can house hundreds of worshipers.Worshipers must wear masks, and singing any of the prayers is banned for the general congregation since it increases the range of spittle emitted during prayers, although the individual leading the prayers can sing since he is isolated on the prayer platform.This means that a central feature of the Shabbat prayer services, the choir, will also be banned for now.It was very moving to start back prayers, and we even had a Bar Mitzvah Monday morning, although those who couldnt be accommodated were obviously disappointed, said Rabbi Shmuel Di Segni, Chief Rabbi of Rome.He said the prohibition on singing reduced the atmosphere in the synagogue, but conceded it was better than nothing.The upcoming Shavuot holiday will be impacted by more than just restrictions on the number of worshipers, but also by the fact that communal meals over the holidays, a common feature of Jewish life in the country, will not be allowed.Di Segni said that the synagogue is considering forming extra, outdoor prayer services in order to cater to the large number of people expected to attend the Shavuot prayers.The rabbi said that while the mood in the community has been lifted somewhat by the reopening of the synagogues, congregants are still nevertheless concerned about their economic situation.Store owners and those involved in the tourism industry have been hard hit by the pandemic, and there does not appear to be a quick return to business as usual for.In Frankfurt, Germany, the Jewish community has been able to pray since the beginning of May, but only in the great synagogue, and not the citys three other synagogues.The grand synagogue can usually hold up to 1,000 worshipers, but due to the necessity of staying 1.5m.
