Are Area Jews Returning to Synagogues Post-COVID? – Jewish Exponent

In Judaism, a community needs 10 people praying to make a minyan. But if 10 people meet on Zoom or livestream, it does not count according to Jewish law, argues Rabbi Isaac Leizerowski of the Orthodox Congregation Beth Midrash HaRav B’Nai Jacob in Philadelphia.As the rabbi explained: “Zoom is not considered a physical presence. And […]

ADL Releases Antisemitism Audit. What Is It and Why Does it Matter … – Jewish Exponent

The Anti-Defamation League revealed on March 22 that there were 3,697 reported incidents of antisemitism in the United States last year, according to its Audit of Antisemitic Incidents 2022.That is a 36% increase from 2021’s 2,717 reported incidents, and the “highest number on record since the organization began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979,” an ADL […]

It's Palindrome Week — 8 Craziest Palindromes to Celebrate the … – Mic

A Santa dog lived as a devil God at NASA.That nonsensical expression is a palindrome, and anyone tickled by it might also be excited to learn we’re in the midst of a real-life "palindrome week."Beginning on Monday, May 10, and running through Tuesday, May 19, every single day as written in the uniquely American month/day/year […]

New Camp Ramah Director Miryam Seid is Right Where She Wants … – Jewish Exponent

Before the pandemic, Miryam Seid traveled across the country with her husband, Adam, to visit her childhood camp, Ramah in California. The camp was hosting a family experience during Passover. But for Miryam Seid, it was a chance to see the place where she became herself.Seid, now 43, spent eight summers there, back when it […]

America Loves Jews. Now Stop Reading – Jewish Exponent

David SuissaGood news is boring. If you want excitement, it’s best to focus on things like danger. Media mavens and fundraisers know this: Danger rivets the mind, pumps up the heart and opens pockets.We see this in the drama surrounding antisemitism. News of a swastika sprayed on a synagogue wall will get breathless coverage and […]

With 1.6M Followers, TikTok Influencer Miriam Ezagui Teaches the … – Jewish Exponent

Elizabeth Karpen“Hi my name is Miriam,” the video begins. “I’m an Orthodox Jew, and I share what my life is like.”So opens a typical TikTok post from Miriam Ezagui, a 37-year-old Brooklyn-based labor and delivery nurse who has amassed 1.6 million followers on the social media platform. Users who make their way to “JewTok,” as […]

Opinion | Should You Put Your Life at Risk to Help Others? – Jewish Exponent

By Ira BedzowFor a short period of time, New York state officials enacted controversial guidelines that again tested the inherent tension that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing between our country’s most deeply cherished values: respect for multiculturalism and religious freedom on the one side and the state’s responsibility to promote the common good on the […]