Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of the robust lives of American Jews. Here there’s a little of everything about the multifaceted world of Jewish life. There are light-hearted Jewish celebrity stories and shocking Jewish celebrity news. Food is also plentiful,…
Life
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‘We turn to You at this time of deep global concern’
The UK’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis composed this prayer; he recommended that Psalms 91, 121 and 130 be said with it. Heavenly Father, We turn to You at this time of deep global concern, to bestow Your mercy upon all the inhabitants of our vulnerable world, which is now so seriously afflicted. Almighty God, who…
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‘Keep them in health, that they may bring healing’: A prayer for the healers
May the One who blessed our ancestors Bless all those who put themselves at risk to care for the sick Physicians and nurses and orderlies Technicians and home health aides EMTs and pharmacists Hospital social workers and respiratory therapists (Please include other frontline healthcare workers. And bless especially _______) Who navigate the unfolding dangers of…
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‘Speedily finding a vaccine’: Prayer for medical researchers
Originally appeared on tobendlight.com. God of wisdom, Bless medical scientists and researchers around the world With insight and skill, dedication and fortitude, As they combat coronavirus, So that their work yields knowledge and understanding, Speedily finding a vaccine, treatments and deterrents to its spread. Source of life, Grant public health and government officials The strength…
The Latest
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‘May our breath continue’: A prayer for hand-washing
Originally published on the author’s website and RitualWell.org As we wash our hands We pray, Blessed is the Soul of the Universe, Breathing us in and breathing us out. May our breaths continue And our health and the health of all Be preserved In this time of sickness and fear of sickness. Holy Wholeness, We…
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‘Teach us to turn our panic into patience’: A prayer for hope
Originally appeared on nashuva.com We are frightened, God, Worried for our loved ones, Worried for our world. Helpless and confused, We turn to You Seeking comfort, faith and hope. Teach us God, to turn our panic into patience, And our fear into acts of kindness and support. Our strong must watch out for our weak,…
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Can we all just chill out this Passover?
As this crazy coronavirus Passover is upon us, I am reminded of a panicked Passover that changed the course of my religious observance: When I was a Modern Orthodox twenty-something living the Zionist dream in Israel, I went to be with my good friend’s family for Passover. She was Sabbath-observant and single, like me, and…
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What happens when your bar mitzvah is canceled?
The celebration of a Bar or Bat Mitzvah has always played an extra-special role in my family. My father was unable to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah since he spent his 13th year in Auschwitz. That fact and the family history that comes with it was central in my upbringing, my own Bar Mitzvah, and my…
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Advice on fear, family, art and help in this pandemic
From its start in 1906, A Bintel Brief was a pillar of the original Forverts newspaper, helping generations of Jewish immigrants learn how to be American. In 2020, we are reviving the signature advice column, helping people navigate the complexities of being Jewish in this digital age. Send your questions to [email protected]. A Time…
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You can do it: Your guide to hosting (or attending) a virtual Passover seder
In 2020, American Jews signed off from virtual seders with an optimistic toast: “Next year in person!” Well, it’s next year, and many of us are once again preparing for a socially distanced Passover. You probably didn’t want to do this twice, but there’s some good news: After a year of online observance, there’s a…
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One rabbi reports: here’s how our e-minyan found its groove
In the beginning of March, before the full impact of COVID-19 began to descend upon our country, and our consciousness, when it was still possible to speak about it seriously-but-also-lightly, I gave a sermon on Shabbat morning entitled “Intimacy without Touch.” In it, I valorized the Jewish instinct, honed over centuries and played out through…
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Yogi Berra loved my wife’s matzo-ball soup. You should make it for Passover.
In the early 1980s, I had just moved to New York and first witnessed the mystical quality of what’s ordinarily a Passover staple. It happened at the Second Avenue Deli, a bustling mecca in the pre-gentrified East Village. Without fail, my buddy Howie would order the ridiculously stuffed pastrami sandwich, a Dr. Brown’s cream soda,…
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