Graffiti was found March 7 on a railroad bridge in Cincinnati that accused the Jews of killing Jesus Christ.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the graffiti read, “The Jews killed Christ. They are the enemies of the whole race.”
The graffiti has since been painted over.
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley condemned the graffiti in a statement.
“This despicable graffiti is unfortunately part of a disturbing trend worldwide, but we will not tolerate these acts in our community,” Cranley wrote. “Cincinnati stands by our Jewish neighbors and will continue to fight against hate of all kinds.”
Jackie Congedo, director of the local Jewish Community Relations Council, told TV station WLWT 5, “Any expression of anti-Semitism or any other form of hatred or bigotry, is a threat to the diverse fabric of our Cincinnati community … we, a city of diversity and strength, will not stand for this in our neighborhood, in our city, in our state or our country.”
In January 2017, a swastika was found spray-painted on the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s Cincinnati campus. The local Anti-Defamation League said at the time, “This act of anti-Semitic vandalism is despicable and must be recognized as an attack on the entire community.”
UPDATE: ADL Cleveland Regional Director James Pasch said in a statement to the Journal, “This graffiti is emblematic of the widespread increase of anti-Semitism that is sweeping across our region and the nation. There is no place for it in our society. We applaud the city, community leaders, and law enforcement for their swift and forceful condemnation, and for acting immediately in removing the anti-Semitic graffiti.”
After spending a restrained 9 minutes on “Hunters,” Esther and Erin SNAP OUT OF IT by getting “Moonstruck” before landing in a pickle over “Crossing Delancey.” Later, the bagels tackle an array of topics including Purim costumes, how “Steel Magnolias” reminds us of the Jewish community, and why “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” doesn’t have us singing along in unison.
Creeping Automation Thank you for Max Samarov’s story showing how big government is overachieving in taking self-control away from ordinary citizens. Right off the bat, he shows how government-sponsored, minimum wage forces businesses to replace human workers with robots. A restaurant I invested in finally was forced to close after years of struggling because of California’s recent minimum wage law — dozens of workers laid off. The retail apocalypse allows the federal government to concentrate the online sales giants they need to shake down for political contributions to only a few.
Indeed, “wealth and power … concentrated in the hands of a tiny elite” is exactly why the governments are not enforcing anti-trust laws. Regarding “government-sponsored job-retraining programs … failing for decades” — what program do they run adequately? It’s no wonder city/state/federal governments are million/billion/trillions of dollars in debt. Plus, they have the added bonus of getting “huge numbers of … workers … [to] remain … relying on government benefits to survive.” What better way to control people’s lives and get them to vote for even more government handouts at taxpayers’ expense? “What kids learn today,” Samarov writes: universal basic income, our education system, homelessness, fear of social, political and economic inequality — all can be traced to laws passed to destroy private institutions (charter schools, banks, mom-and-pop stores, mental health hospitals, the Boy Scouts) so “public” institutions can be used to control people’s lives. Warren Scheinin, Redondo Beach
Jews and Palestinians Why should we Jews be sympathetic to the Palestinians?
In his Feb. 28 editorial (“By Dissing AIPAC, Sanders Hurts Palestinians”), David Suissa quotes Sarah Tuttle-Singer, who wrote about speaking at AIPAC, “… [I] talked about how we have to end the Occupation, restore justice to the Land, and how Israelis and Palestinians — Jews and Arabs — must live together in equality, freedom, and security.” This, a common theme in these pages, is what Israel has been attempting at least since the ’67 War.
Ever since the United Nations partition of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, the Jews have proposed countless offers of peace and concessions. The Palestinians responded in the infamous Khartoum resolution of Sept. 1, 1967, with “the Three No’s: No peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, and no negations with it.”
They have adhered to this policy ever since. Their utmost desire is to have “An Arab state from the river [Jordan] to the sea [Mediterranean],” which euphemistically is a call to wipe Israel off the map.
Since the Palestinians have no intention of pursuing peace with Israel, why do we belabor the point? C.P. Lefkowitz, San Pedro
Objecting to the 1619 Project Thank you, Gil Troy, for pushing back, against, among other concepts, the “institutionalized victimhood” inherent in such destructive, although well-intentioned, endeavors such as the 1619 Project (“The New York Times Is Reframing Our Past,” Feb. 14). Growing up in a mixed, lower-middle-class neighborhood in 1960s Los Angeles, my neighbors included a black, divorced female dietician, the 12th child of sharecroppers, who was proud that all of her siblings graduated from Tuskegee University, part of the incredible African American college system; Jim Randolph, the director of KGFJ, a black radio station and creator of “This Is Progress,” a radio feature that’s highlighted the achievements of African Americans; and O.C. Smith, a popular singer raised by his single mother. None of them defined themselves by being victims. None of them taught their kids that they were victims and, therefore, couldn’t achieve. Even Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, a rabid anti-Semite, preached black responsibility and self-reliance, not victimhood at his Million Man March on Washington, D.C.
The premise inherent in the 1619 Project that slavery defines African
Americans and the American experience
is both racist and destructive because, as a result of its simplistic premise, we all become perpetual victims. Mina Friedler, Venice
Don’t Forget Same-Sex Couples As a gay man who reads the Journal regularly, I was disappointed in Tabby Refael’s column (“A Friday Kind of Love,” Feb. 14). I was pleased to see that Refael doesn’t forget about the hardworking men as she includes the phrase “and husbands” when talking about the work of wives, but she fails to recognize same-sex relationships and nontraditional families. Shabbat flowers can uplift the man of the house just as much as they uplift the woman, and not every household has a “woman of the house.”
Using the term eishet chayil excludes those of us who do not have a woman of valor in our household.
Flowers and other messages of recognition should be used to honor everyone, not just women, and Refael could have rephrased the quote from Rabbi Dov Heller to be more inclusive.
Buying flowers is the least a person can do for their partner. No one in any relationship should be taken for granted, and this teaching applies equally to same-sex couples as it does to male-female relationships. Zvi Zobin, via email
Disappointed by ‘Hunters’ In Ariel Sobel’s recent story “ ‘Hunters’ Grindhouse Experience Turns L.A. Into 1970s NYC” (Feb. 28), she writes about an experience focused on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and tangentially mentions the new Amazon Prime show “Hunters.” Sobel makes the Grindhouse Experience seem like what I had hoped “Hunters” would be.
Sobel’s story makes me wish I could have gone to Grindhouse, because the TV series created by David Weil delivers big promises with pedestrian results. Al Pacino’s German accent slips in and out, anachronisms abound, and the Torah and Talmud are both dreadfully misquoted. Granted, I am only halfway through the series, and I hope that the misunderstanding and false textual expertise is a facade of some kind — some sort of intentional faux-scholarship that makes sense for the character — but so far it is just cringe-worthy.
As a rabbi and a comic book geek, I am regularly distracted by how much the show gets wrong. As the father of children whose grandfather survived the Holocaust, I struggle with the message of “revenge is the best revenge.” As a fan of all things movies and TV, even the character introductions in the first episode dreadfully overpromised. Lonny Flash (played by Josh Radnor) was promised as a chameleon, an actor who could blend in seamlessly anywhere. But he only ever appears as whiny, out-of-work, over-confident Lonny Flash, who nobody seems to know. (Maybe that’s why he blends in, because Radnor performs as a character I just can’t care about.)
Carol Kane, Saul Rubinek, Lena Olin and Pacino all disappoint with their performances, and I was so excited to see such a wonderful ensemble cast working together.
These four normally talented performers seem to spend so much time focusing on mediocre accents that they forget to act. I have fallen asleep to this show twice in five episodes, and I am trying very hard to choke it down like my children do with the broccoli I make them eat.
I will finish the season, and I hope it produces some sort of surprise at the end, but in the meantime, I pray that if it gets renewed, they seek some script advice from a rabbi. Mr. Weil, I’m in Fountain Valley if you need me. Rabbi David N. Young, Congregation B’nai Tzedek, Fountain Valley
Sanders, Jews and All Voters Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders “fails to condemn Hamas and collaborates with open anti-Semites like [Reps.] Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar …” (“Sanders Abandoning Israel,” Letters to the Editor, Feb. 28).
That, and his frequent statements that seek to denigrate the State of Israel and demanding concessions from it while asking little of the Palestinians, should be of concern to all voters.
Despite Sanders’ ideas regarding matters not related to Israel that many of us favor, his failure to condemn terrorists, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and the like, overwhelm the positives. George Epstein, Los Angeles
The coronavirus epidemic spread to New York this past week, with members of the Orthodox Jewish community being among the first to test positive. On March 3, a Yeshiva University student’s father was identified as New York’s second case of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. In a note, the university stated, “The student has not been on campus since Thursday, February 27th and is in quarantine with his family.”
On March 4, the university announced that a student had tested positive for COVID-19, and on March 6 it was confirmed that Rabbi Reuven Fink of the Young Israel synagogue in Westchester County who also teaches two classes at Yeshiva University’s Washington Heights campus, also had tested positive for the coronavirus.
There has been so much anxiety that a suburban Baltimore hotel canceled a reservation for the Yeshiva University men’s basketball team, which opened play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III tournament on March 6.
In response to the growing alarm, the university announced it would cancel all in-person classes and events at the Wilf Campus and Midtown location at least until March 10. On March 5, Yeshiva University held a communitywide conference call to discuss the matter.
Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau, said that symptoms of the virus might not present at first, meaning precaution should be taken now. “If someone was exposed to a real case of COVID-19, it would take them between two and 14 days to develop the illness if they are going to develop illness,” he said.
He added that while he didn’t want to raise alarm, “People should not be going out in public — not to shul, not to work, not to the supermarket, not to any event. The only place they should be going if they need to is to a doctor.”
“People should not be going out in public — not to shul, not to work, not to the supermarket, not to any event. The only place they should be going if they need to is to a doctor.” — Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases, Mount Sinai South Nassau
Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz, director of rabbinic ordination/Semikah program at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University’s Wilf campus, emphasized the need to take precautions from both a health perspective as well as a moral one. “Someone who’s contagious and goes out and allows other people to catch his illness is doing something quite terrible,” he said, adding that people should refrain from engaging in rituals that encourage kissing of any kind, even kissing a mezuzah or Torah. “Make a kissing sound but don’t put your mouth on it,” he suggested.
Dr. Glatt provided some relief for parents of young children, stating, “The good news is that this disease, COVID-19, doesn’t seem to be a particularly serious illness in children, baruch haShem. There’s not been a single child under the age of 10 that has died from this illness at the present time. Unfortunately, at the other extreme of life, if you’re looking at patients above the age of 80 who have much more serious underlying diseases … the morbidity and mortality of that group is much higher.”
Dr. Ronna Novick, dean of Yeshiva University’s graduate school of Jewish Education, offered guidance on how to psychologically prepare for the outbreak and how to talk to children about it. “It’s tempting in times like this for children to look for a cause — to look for someone or something to blame,” she said. “It’s important for our children to understand that germs happen. They’re no one’s fault. No particular group deserves the blame for the coronavirus outbreak.”
Through all this pandemonium, there was one small silver lining. Yeshiva University’s men’s basketball team made history March 6, winning its first NCAA Division III tournament game against Worcester Polytechnic Institute. It was played in a gym on host Johns Hopkins’ campus in front of no spectators.
Peter Fox is a contributing writer for the Forward and Tablet magazine. Follow him on Twitter @thatpeterfox.
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The American Israel Public Affairs Committee said that at least two people who attended the lobby’s policy conference have tested positive for the coronavirus.
The conference, which ran from Feb. 28-March 2, drew 18,000 activists to Washington.
The AIPAC statement posted late Friday on Twitter said the two people who tested positive are from New York. The outbreak has been especially hard on the Orthodox Jewish community in Westchester County, and AIPAC listed the county’s health department as among the authorities with which it is in communication.
The others are the New York Health Department, national health authorities and the District of Columbia Health Department. The statement also said the lobby was consulting with Edward Septimus, a professor of internal medicine at Texas A&M University.
The statement posted on Twitter said an email was going out to all attendees as well as to congressional offices. The conference routinely attracts a majority of Congress members and their staffers.
A story that ran last month in a Canadian Arabic newspaper alleges that Israelis steal organs from Palestinian bodies; B’nai Brith Canada denounced the story as Blood Libel.
According to B’nai Brith Canada, the Toronto area-based newspaper al-Meshwar ran a story in its Feb. 28 edition with the headline: “The Abuse of the Martyrs and the Manipulation of Their Bodies Are Jewish Commandments and Israeli Directives,” by Dr. Mustafa Yusuf al-Lidawi, identified as a former Hamas representative. B’nai Brith Canada states that al-Lidawi’s story “falsely accuses Israel of burying prisoners alive and stealing their organs, a practice he blames on Israel’s ‘ancient malice, and Talmudic and Torah commandments.’”
Additionally in the story, al-Lidawi praises Palestinian terrorists for achieving “martyrdom.”
B’nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn said in a statement, “It is unacceptable that Canadian publications, in any language, continue to demonize Jews and glorify terrorism. These relentless and baseless attacks on our community undermine inter-communal relations and increase the risk to our safety.”
Canadian Jewish News (CJN) also reported that, on the same page as al-Lidawai’s story, was a story alleging that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is worse than what the Nazis did to Jews, stating: “The horrors of the 20th century Holocaust become a justification for a crime uglier than its predecessor, and the victim was thus transformed into a murderer and perpetrator of the 21st century Holocaust.”
Mostyn told CJN, “It is irrefutably anti-Semitic and harmful to imply that the Jewish state — the only genuine democracy in the Middle East — and its citizenry have become modern-day Nazis.”
B’nai Brith Canada filed a complaint with Toronto police over the stories.
StandWithUs CEO and Co-Founder Roz Rothstein tweeted, “Anti-Semitic article in a Canadian newspaper in Arabic. The article written by former Hamas official Dr. Mustafa Yusuf al-Lidawi, who has a track record of accusing Jews of blood libel and other ugly charges. Lets see how this plays out.”
Antisemitic article in a Canadian newspaper in Arabic. The article written by former Hamas official Dr. Mustafa Yusuf al-Lidawi, who has a track record of accusing Jews of blood libel and other ugly charges. Lets see how this plays out. https://t.co/uehCTsm8kq
According to The Jerusalem Post, al-Meshwar’s record of stories includes “praise for a 2014 synagogue massacre at Har Nof in Jerusalem, and accusations that Judaism is a “terrorist religion,” and that Jews masterminded the Holocaust for their own gain.”
Sanders, a Democratic presidential candidate who had relatives perish during the Holocaust, responded to the incident during a March 6 press conference, saying that he was stunned to learn about the Nazi flag.
“We’ve had other events with some [President Donald] Trump people who get agitated and they try to disrupt the meeting and we deal with that, but this was something different,” Sanders said. “To have in the United States of America somebody bringing forth the most detestable symbol in modern history, a symbol of which over 400,000 brave Americans died trying to defeat, is unspeakable.”
As someone whose family was wiped out by Hitler and as an American, to have in this country somebody bringing forth the most detestable symbol in modern history is unspeakable. pic.twitter.com/0TySmmxhgh
“Targeting a Jewish candidate with a Nazi flag represents a new level of depravity,” Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted. “There is no place for hate in politics. Disagree on issues, but all good people should flat out reject this kind of poison when it appears in the 2020 race.”
Targeting a Jewish candidate with a Nazi flag represents a new level of depravity. There is no place for hate in politics. Disagree on issues, but all good people should flat out reject this kind of poison when it appears in the 2020 race. https://t.co/4RaBfYkiOS
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) March 6, 2020
The American Jewish Committee similarly tweeted, “Nazi flags are symbols of pure hate and have no place anywhere in America, much less in a rally for a Jewish presidential candidate. We are grateful that those responsible were removed immediately.”
Nazi flags are symbols of pure hate and have no place anywhere in America, much less in a rally for a Jewish presidential candidate. We are grateful that those responsible were removed immediately.https://t.co/HkfKGfIKIr
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) March 6, 2020
New York Times columnist Bari Weiss tweeted, “Appalling. I wish I could say shocking.”
According to the ADL’s Center on Extremism, the man who unfurled the Nazi flag is a “stunt activist” who has previously unveiled a Nazi flag at a Jewish National Fund conference in Arizona in October 2018, the same day as the Tree of Life synagogue shooting. He also wore a hat emblazoned with the words “Bomb Islam” at a Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) event in May 2018.
This space will constantly be updated. Keep checking back for additional information, and if you have suggestions for other items to include in this resource guide, please email ryant@jewishjournal.com.
WHERE YOU CAN GO FOR HELP
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION
The Alzheimer’s Association offers a 24-7 helpline at (800) 272-3900, connecting people with dementia and their caregivers to support groups and education classes. The California Southland chapter is available during normal working hours at (323) 309-8821. alz.org.
AMUDIM ANONYMOUS SUPPORT LINE
Amudim is partnering with multiple organizations and private practice clinicians, including L.A.-based therapists, to offer professional guidance via an anonymous support line available to the public at (888) 726-8346. 5 a.m.-8 p.m. Those who prefer to communicate in writing can do so via email at support@amudim.org. amudim.org.
BACK ENGAGED NOW Back Engaged Now, a Jewish suicide prevention program, is offering people access to the following resources: Secular psychotherapy at the Southern California Counseling Center at (323) 937-1344; low cost and free Jewish counseling at the Valley Beth Shalom Counseling Center at (818) 784-1414; and the JQ Helpline for the LGBTQ community at (855) 574-4577. Email Jonah Sanderson at jonahsanderson2@aol.com for more information.
BRAD SHERMAN’S OFFICE
San Fernando Valley Congressman Brad Sherman has been holding telephonic town halls about the coronavirus. For upcoming events and resources related to the global outbreak, visit sherman.house.gov.
CALIFORNIA COVID-19 HOTLINES
In an effort to provide reliable, trusted information and support during the
COVID-19 crisis, California has launched a statewide COVID-19 call center. Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (833) 422-4255. Covid19.ca.gov/hotline. If you are looking for community services and support, call 211. Older Californians who need someone to talk to, call the statewide Friendship Line, a partnership with the Institute on Aging, at (888) 670-1360.
CHABAD
Chabad, the Jewish outreach organization, is delivering hot Shabbat meals to people need. Chabad of Hancock Park, Chabad of Malibu and Bais Bezalel, a Chabad synagogue in Pico-Robertson, have been organizing the initiative “Home But Not Alone.” To sign up to receive a meal, contact Esther at administration@baisbezalel.org with your name and address. You must reach out by the Tuesday of the week you hope to receive food.
CRITICAL DELIVERY SERVICE
The Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services (WDACS) and L.A. County Board of Supervisors has launched a temporary delivery program, Critical Delivery Service, to deliver food and other vital items to individuals who are unable to leave their homes due to COVID-19. People who are ages 60-and-older, have a permanent or temporary disability or are a dependent adult, ages 18-59, are eligible. Deliverable items are groceries, household products and vital necessities. Recipients permitted four deliveries, or 40-miles worth of deliveries, per month. Deliveries made 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week. For more information, call (888) 863-7411 or visit wdacs.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CSD_Fact-Sheet_V.2_Final.pdf
I CAN HELP
Focused on but not exclusively serving the modern Orthodox Pico Robertson community, the I Can Help task force matches those in need with those able to volunteer. The website includes a donation link to an emergency pandemic crisis tzedakah fund, which is distributing funds to people in need under the direction of Rabbi Yonah Bookstein. To request assistance or for additional information, email kavodforeldersla@gmail.com or visit icanhelp.site.
ILOSTMYJOBTOCORONAVIRUS.COM
This free website connects people who are unemployed with immediate job opportunities and resources. Created by siblings Sigal and Gilad Spitzer and Sigal’s husband, Zachary Flamholz, ilmjtcv.com allows people to search for jobs in their industries, create a profile to be viewed by job recruiters and network with other people seeking employment through a chat feature. Try the website at ilmjtcv.com and read more about it here.
JEWISH AGENCY COVID-19 CRISIS LOAN FUND
The Jewish Agency for Israel has launched an interest-free emergency loan fund to support distressed Jewish communities outside North America. For more information about the loan fund, which was launched in partnership with Jewish Federations of North America and Keren Hayesod-United Jewish Appeal, visit jewishagency.org/communities-loan-fund.
JEWISH FEDERATION OF LOS ANGELES CALL LINE
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles has launched a community call line, referring people in need of social services to the appropriate service agencies. Call (323) 761-8305 from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Fridays. For more information, visit jewishla.org.
JEWISH FREE LOAN ASSOCIATION
For those who have lost wages because they cannot go to work, have accumulated childcare costs because of schools being closed or have lost funds due to cancelled travel plans, Jewish Free Loan Association (JFLA) is offering emergency loans up to $3,000 to residents of L.A. and Ventura Counties who are U.S. citizens. Must have at least one person who can sign on your loan and guarantee repayment. Must be 18 or over to apply. People of any faith are eligible. For more information, visit jfla.org.
JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE LA
Jewish Family Service Los Angeles (JFSLA) is delivering meals to homebound seniors and people with disabilities and maintaining and stocking its SOVA pantries, which are distributing pre-packed bags of groceries to minimize risk to clients and volunteers. According to a JFSLA spokesperson, JFSLA has been delivering over 7,500 meals, weekly, to over 700 individuals, during the pandemic. Call (877) 275-4537. For more information, visit jfsla.org.
JEWISH FUNDERS NETWORK
The Jewish Funders Network, which aims to grow the impact of Jewish philanthropy, holds online events and webinars; provides information on funding opportunities for Jewish groups and offers various resources for nonprofits, parents and educators and others. More at jfncovid19response.org/resource-hub.
JEWISH TOGETHER
Jewish Federations of North America provides information to Jewish nonprofit agencies about how to apply for a government loan. For more information, visit jewishtogether.org, which also features virtual meet-ups, daily videos and additional resources.
KARSH CENTER AT WILSHIRE BOULEVARD TEMPLE
The Karsh Center’s food pantry is open from 7:30-9:30 a.m. on Sundays. The center is available for any queries Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call (213) 401-4651 or email info@karshcenter.org.
L.A. REGIONAL FOOD BANK
Food bank operations are continuing with no major impact on staff and facilities. If you are in need of food assistance, visit the L.A. Regional Food Bank’s food pantry locator or dial 211.
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE
If you or someone you know needs free and confidential support during this crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, a national network of local crises centers, at 800-273-8255. Counselors who speak English and Spanish are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Los Angeles-based Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services — reported on by the Journal here — is one of the leading members of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and is also offering supportive services at this difficult time. Learn more at didihirsch.org.
RESTAURANTS DELIVER: HOME MEALS FOR SENIORS
California is partnering with counties, cities and tribes to provide three nutritious meals a day to older and other adults at high risk from COVID-19 and provide economic stimulus to local businesses and workers. The webpage for the program advises to continue checking the page for additional details. More details here.
SHOPPING HELPERS L.A.
Sisters Kayla Newman, 19, and Leeat Hatzav, 20, have created WhatsApp groups to connect elderly people and the immunocompromised with those who can offer shopping assistance. Serving Pico, La Brea and the Valley. For more information, call (323) 628-7017, email shoppinghelpersla@gmail.com or visit myshla.com.
SECURE COMMUNITY NETWORK
Secure Community Network, the official safety and security organization of the Jewish Federations of North America and Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, has convened a working group to offer guidelines to Jewish organizations on how to reopen safely. Documents outlining best practices for reopening as well as questions and considerations organizations ought to take into account when reopening are available here.
SINGLE JEWISH MOMS CONNECT
Single Jewish Moms Connect, a project of Chabad’s Bais Chana Women International, offers support to women who are divorced, widowed and single-by-choice and are dealing with the coronavirus. The organization hosts twice-weekly Zoom meetings, connecting women to resources in their communities and launching a program to pair volunteers with mothers to give their children 30 minutes of homework help and other entertainment via video conferencing.
SYNAGOGUE REOPENINGS
The California Department of Public Health has issued guidelines for the reopening of houses of worship and to ensure the safety of those attending services. View the 13-page document, which was released May 25, here.
TED LIEU
California Rep. Ted Lieu, who represents the state’s 33rd district, is available to those who have questions related to COVID-19, about financial relief, unemployment benefits or small business support. For information, call (323) 651-1040 or visit lieu.house.gov/coronavirus.
WAYS YOU CAN HELP OR VOLUNTEER
AMERICAN RED CROSS
There is an ongoing critical need for blood donations due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the Red Cross is offering COVID-19 antibody testing for all donations. For more information, visit redcrossblood.org.
CALIFORNIANS FOR ALL
Californians for All is currently identifying unmet volunteer needs. If you have not experienced symptoms related to the coronavirus and want to learn more about how you can help out, visit californiavolunteers.ca.gov/get-involved/covid-19. Opportunities include supporting food banks, donating blood and delivering meals to seniors in need.
DONATE SUPPLIES
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center welcomes the donation of supplies, including sanitizer, masks, gloves, gowns, face shields and food. Learn more here.
EMERGENCY SUPPLY DONOR GROUP
Entrepreneurs Emily Kane Miller and Elizabeth Faraut’s Emergency Supply Donor Group (ESDG), a sponsored project of Jumpstart Labs, and the Greater Los Angeles Hospital Registry have teamed up to get personal protective equipment and other essential medical supplies to frontline responders. To make a donation to ESDG visit the group’s website, and to see what supplies are needed at hospitals in the L.A. area, visit the Greater L.A. Hospital Registry.
JDC
Global humanitarian organization JDC is providing food, medication, homecare and other forms of aid to vulnerable populations around the world. If you would like to make a financial contribution to these efforts, visit jdc.org/coronavirusupdates.
L.A. EMERGENCY COVID-19 CRISIS FUND
Help support families, healthcare workers, un-housed neighbors and others with a contribution to the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the life of Angelenos. To make a donation, visit mayorsfundla.org/covid19.
PLEDGE TO PROTECT
Jewish nursing homes, hospice care centers, home care and other front-line providers for the elderly are suffering a shortage of PPE – personal protective equipment – including gloves, masks and gowns. The Jewish Federations of North America has launched a fundraising campaign to support the purchase of this equipment for these facilities. As of this writing, the campaign had raised approximately $430,000 of its $3 million goal. A donation of $18 is enough to purchase 27 surgical masks, four N95 masks, four isolation gowns and two boxes of disposable gloves. To learn more or contribute, visit jewishtogether.org/pledgetoprotect.
RESPONDERS FIRST
Launched by Friends of West L.A., the Responders First initiative is providing meals for first-responders from the Los Angeles Fire Department and the West L.A. Police Department and ER heroes from Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, while raising funds for local restaurants. Participating restaurants include California Chicken Cafe, Poquito Mas and Jersey Mike’s. To make a contribution and to learn more, visit http://respondersfirst.la.
ONLINE JEWISH ACTIVITIES
Minyans, Shabbat services, book clubs, topical discussions, mediation and yoga are just a few of the dynamic virtual Jewish programs being offered at the following places.
ADAT ARI EL
San Fernando Valley congregation Adat Ari El holds a variety of online programming — including a “Two Rabbis Walk into a Bar” conversation series, regular song sessions and gardening and yoga classes — at adatariel.org/virtualadat.
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY
Experts from Tel Aviv University participate in weekly webinars on the coronavirus, discussing their COVID-19 research, how to maintain hope during these times and more. Explore these webinars at aftau.org/webinar-library.
CREATIVE COMMUNITY FOR PEACE
Creative Community for Peace, a nonprofit comprised of entertainment industry professionals who stand against the cultural boycott of Israel, is going virtual. As we continue to follow stay-at-home orders, tune in to the CCFP website for webinars on the Israeli film and television industry in the time of COVID-19, music supervision during this new normal and a virtual performance by musicians David Broza and Mira Awad. More info here.
“ESCAPE TO ISRAEL”
Travel to Israel may be out, but the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angele’ virtual program, “Escape to Israel,” aims to bring Israel to you. Featuring 15 Zoom sessions, over six weeks, highlighting different aspects of the Jewish homeland, this Federation initiative – which kicked off July 7 — includes a live guided tour of an Israeli moshav, a conversation with the co-creator of hit Israeli television show, “Fauda,” and a trip to sites in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The program runs through Aug. 12. To take part, visit jewishla.org/virtual-israel-2020.
FIDF ENGAGE
Friends of Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) has launched FIDF Engage, a hub of digital events includes falafel cooking classes, Krav Maga workouts and other ways to connect with IDF soldiers. fidf.org/covid19/engage.
HILLEL@HOME
Virtual meet-ups and online gatherings bring together Jewish and Jew-ish students from around the world in real-time. Additionally, Hillel connects students to volunteer opportunities and support resources. More at https://welcome.hillel.org/hillelathome/
IAC @ HOME The Israeli American Council holds English and Hebrew language online events for kids, teens, college students, young professionals, parents and others. https://www.israeliamerican.org/home
INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH SPIRITUALITY
Whether you are a JewBu or are interested in a contemplative spiritual practice, the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (ISJ) is offering a number of free, supportive resources during these pandemic times. ISJ’s current online programs include daily guided meditation, Mondays-Fridays, 9:30-10 a.m. PST; online Jewish yoga, Mondays, 8-8:45 a.m. PST; and weekly Torah study, Tuesdays, 8:45-9:15 PST. Sign up or learn more at jewishspirituality.org.
ISRAEL IN LOS ANGELES
The Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles has been holding a series of webinars about issues pertaining to Israel via the initiative, IsraelConnect. To view these webinars and for information on upcoming events, visit the consulate’s Facebook page at facebook.com/IsraelinLA.
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND ON DEMAND
During the course of the pandemic, Jewish National Fund (JNF) has been working to create experiences for people to remain connected with Israel. For upcoming live JNF events, visit this page, which is being updated with new content regularly.
JEW IT AT HOME
More than a dozen synagogues and Jewish organizations are curating online events and resources, including Shabbat services, daily meditation and yoga and book clubs, appropriate for kids, adults and families. jewitathome.com.
JIMENA ONLINE
JIMENA: Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa) offers an array of online learning and engagement opportunities. Along with virtual events, which are being added every week to the organization’s events page or Facebook page, you can also participate in the JIMENA Buddy System, pairing people of all ages with elderly individuals for weekly check-ins via FaceTime, Zoom or over the phone. French, Hebrew, Spanish, Farsi and English speakers needed. Learn more at jimena.org.
LOS ANGELES MUSEUM OF THE HOLOCAUST
Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust offers virtual educational resources, including live-streamed events, recorded survivor testimonies and a digital archive. lamoth.org.
OPEN TEMPLE HAPPENINGS
“Still open, now online:” That is the tagline for Venice congregation Open Temple’s virtual programming. From Shabbat Shal(OM) virtual yoga, to “Quarantine Shabbat,” this inclusive community has an online event for you. opentemple.org.
PICO SHUL COMMUNITY
Stay connected with the millennials of Pico Shul. On Monday-Thursday, Pico Shul’s Rabbi Yonah Bookstein leads a Shulchan Aruch (“Code of Jewish Law”) study group at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom, and on Fridays at 9:30 a.m. he leads a recurring meeting via Zoom on Chassidic teachings. Additionally, Happy Minyan’s David Sacks leads online classes, including the Sunday morning “Spiritual Tools For an Outrageous World.” For more information, visit the websites of either Pico Shul or Happy Minyan.
RAMAH AT HOME
Ramah Ba-Bayit, or “Ramah at Home,” is a compilation of programs from Ramah camps and Israel programs on Zoom, Facebook Live and more. View these programs here.
SKIRBALL AT HOME While Skirball Cultural Center remains closed, the museum has launched online resources, including a virtual tour of the Jewish deli, book recommendations and more. skirball.org/Skirball-At-Home.
STANDWITHUS CONNECT
Pro-Israel education organization StandWithUs has been holding high-quality, interactive webinars for people of all ages on its Facebook page.
VALLEY BETH SHALOM AT HOME Valley Beth Shalom is offering a variety of online programs, from morning minyans to Torah study at vbs.org.
VIRTUAL SHABBAT COMMUNITY Hollywood Temple Beth El celebrates Shabbat online in song and study, every Saturday morning from 10:30 a.m.-noon, through April. Click on the Zoom link to join.
YACHAD ON DEMAND
Yachad, the National Jewish Council for Disabilities, offers live events, a video library, resources and more. Visit yachad.org/yachadondemand to access these programs.
YICC’S SHABBAT AT HOME
Modern Orthodox congregation Young Israel of Century City offers resources, including Torah portion commentaries, online lessons and more, for celebrating Shabbat at home. yicc.org.
KOSHER FOOD
BIBI’S BAKERY AND CAFÉ Bibi’s Bakery and Café is open for pickup and delivery only. Customers may order through the bakery and cafe’s website or on the phone. Owner Dan Messinger is updating the menu, which now includes make-your-own pizza kits with tomato sauce, dough and cheese. Normal operating hours may change but are: Monday-Thursday 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-9 p.m. 8928 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 246-1788. bibisbakerycafe.com.
GOT KOSHER?
Got Kosher? Bakery and Deli has been open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and is offering pickup and curbside orders, in-house deliveries through its website and online deliveries through DoorDash, Postmates, GrubHub, ChowNow, Uber Eats and Toast.com. The Pico-Robertson restaurant is open Sunday-Thursday, from 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and Friday, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Got Kosher’s menu includes its pretzel challah and Pareve pastries, the full restaurant items of the adjacent Harissa Restaurant, a weekly revolving international Shabbat menu as well as catering platters of food and pastries and senior meals. 8914 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 858-1920. For more information, visit gotkosher.com.
JEFF’S GOURMET SAUSAGE FACTORY
Operating at modified capacity, Jeff’s Gourmet Sausage Factory is providing carryout orders, curbside pickup and delivery on Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 8930 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 858-8590. Order online at jeffsgourmet.com. The restaurant is also providing customers an opportunity to purchase “A Meal for Heroes,” via its DoorDash menu, for $10. “Meals are being safely delivered everyday to healthcare workers and elderly and disabled community members in need of a good hot meal,” the DoorDash site says.
LA GONDOLA
The Beverly Hills kosher restaurant has reopened for in-house dining for lunch and dinner, allowing 60-percent occupancy. “The vibe is great, and people are ready to eat out,” chef Nir Weinblut says. The restaurant is also open for takeout and deliveries from 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Fridays and 5-7:30 p.m. Sundays. lagondola.com.
PICO GLATT MART
The glatt kosher market, under Kehilla Supervision, is open for business. 9427 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. For free delivery or curbside pickup, call (310) 785-0904 or email picoglatt@yahoo.com. picoglattmart.com.
SANTA MONICA GLATT KOSHER MARKET
Joe Azizi, co-owner of Santa Monica Glatt Kosher Market, said his market is working with Gourmet Runner, a delivery outsourcing company, to provide groceries to people at home. Service areas include Santa Monica, Venice, La Brea area and Beverly Hills. 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sunday. 11540 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 473-4435.
SHABBASKET.COM
Enliven your Shabbat with Challah, desert and more delivered to your door, via shabbasket.com. All items certified under OK Supervision. Deliveries available to those in the zip codes of 90034, 90035, 90036, 90211, 90212 and 90019. Deliveries must be placed by 7 p.m. on Thursday. shabbasket.com.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
FACEBOOK GROUPS Several Facebook groups are responding to the outbreak of COVID-19 including Parnassah Task Force L.A. and Jewish Crisis Response Task Force, providing advice, networking, temporary job or business referrals and information on volunteer opportunities. Learn more about these groups from their public Facebook pages.
LACMA @ HOME Watch short films, exhibition walk-throughs and documentaries; enjoy online courses, lectures and teaching resources; and browse masterful artworks at lacma.org. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art website has made available these virtual resources and more for free to the public.
ONLINE SHABBAT MATERIAL Education organization Builders of Jewish Education is curating digital content to help celebrate Shabbat at home. Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Humanistic and interfaith families can view the wealth of material at bjela.org/shabbat-resources.
Since in-person social gatherings are temporarily prohibited, try playing party games over Zoom, Google Hangouts or other video conferencing platforms.
CELEBRITIES
Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback recently played this Charades-like game over Zoom with a group of old friends from Palo Alto, where he served as a rabbi and educator for 11 years before becoming senior rabbi at Stephen Wise Temple. “You pick the name out and it says, ‘Michelle Obama,’ and you say, ‘The previous First Lady of the U.S.,’ and the person on your team says, ‘Michelle Obama,’” Zweiback said, explaining the rules. He was surprised by how much he enjoyed the virtual experience. “It worked way better than we thought it would. It was really fun.”
Headspace and the L.A. County Department of Mental Health have partnered to provide support and resources during this time, including guided meditations available for free on this site.
In response to concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Jewish communities in the U.S. are taking precautions to reduce the potential of the disease spreading further.
On March 10, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the decision to close schools, places of worship and other large gatherings within a one-mile zone of the city of New Rochelle for 14 days. He said National Guard troops will help deliver food and disinfect common areas inside the zone.
A Jewish lawyer who lives in New Rochelle in New York’s Westchester County and works at a law firm in Manhattan tested positive for COVID-19 despite no recent travel to any of the countries heavily impacted by the virus. The man, who was diagnosed as having the second confirmed case of COVID-19 in New York, currently is hospitalized in New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. His wife and daughter are under self-quarantine at home. Their son is under quarantine at Yeshiva University. The man had an underlying respiratory condition when he became infected.
The New York Jewish Week reported that the man is Lawrence Garbuz. His wife, Adina Garbuz, who tested positive for the virus, along with their two children, posted a message on Facebook, saying: “All I and my family care about is that my husband/their father get better. We shuttered the windows, turned off the internet and together stayed strong and in good spirits. Other than Lawrence, no one else in my family has been sick other than a slight cough.”
The Jewish Week also reported that five members of another New Rochelle family who had contact with Garbuz and the rabbi of Young Israel, Reuven Fink, tested positive for the virus. The synagogue’s webpage said the rabbi’s wife, Abby Fink, also tested positive for the coronavirus.
A number of Jewish institutions in the greater New York City area have closed out of concern that COVID-19 might spread among those who have come into contact with the family, and there are other Jewish institutions that are taking precautionary measures.
Yeshiva University canceled all classes on its campuses in Washington Heights and Midtown until after Purim (March 10), including undergraduate and in-person graduate courses and classes at the boys high school. Yeshiva University also postponed all social events on those campuses until further notice, and is discouraging people from congregating in common areas. Two students who were considered high risk for exposure due to close contact with the infected student, including the student’s roommate, were tested and came up negative for the virus.
Several synagogues and day schools in and around New Rochelle temporarily closed. Young Israel of New Rochelle, where the initial Jewish patient attended services on Feb. 22 and 23, has canceled davening through March 14, and the rabbi has now contracted the virus. As of press time, Salanter Akiba Riverdale High School in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx was closed through March 11, and its lower school, Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy, where the daughter of the initial Jewish patient is a student, was closed through March 11. Westchester Day School in Mamaroneck, N.Y., and Westchester Torah Academy in White Plains, N.Y., also shut down temporarily.
A mikveh in Riverdale put out a statement notifying people of its protocols to keep its facility clean. Included among these protocols are:
• Preparation rooms continue to be cleaned in between each use with a disinfecting cleanser.
• Common areas and waiting rooms are thoroughly cleaned on a daily basis and will be cleaned throughout the night with Clorox wipes and other disinfectant products.
• Floors will be cleaned nightly with a disinfectant.
The mikveh noted that a woman who is under quarantine must follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local government agencies and may not break quarantine to immerse in the mikveh. They also asked people not to visit the mikveh if they have any symptoms of illness.
At the AIPAC Policy Conference, which took place in Washington, D.C., March 1-3, two attendees from New York tested positive for the virus as did one from Los Angeles (see main story).
A person who attended a Shabbaton hosted by Young Jewish Conservatives on Feb. 28-29 during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Md., tested positive for the virus. The individual lives in Englewood, N.J., and attended Young Israel of new Rochelle on Feb. 23.
Kesher Israel Congregation in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood, sent out an email urging people to stay home if they have, or recently had, any symptoms of illness. It also said not to directly kiss the Torah or mezuzot as there is no general halachic requirement to do so. The email also stated not to shake hands, fist bump, hug, or engage in any close physical contact with people at shul.
As of press time, according to the CDC, there were 99 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States since Jan. 21, with 19 deaths. Cases have been reported in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Of the 423 reported cases, 72 are travel related, 29 from person-to-person spread and the remaining 322 are under investigation.
Zachary Leshin is a writer and former congressional staffer based in Washington, D.C.
This story has been updated to include more information on the coronavirus.
CORRECTION: This story mentioned that the coronavirus outbreak in Washington, D.C., indicated that Kesher Israel Congregation in Georgetown had confirmed cases of the virus. Georgetown has a confirmed case; Kesher Israel Congregation does not.
