Elijah’s Cup and the Mysterious Guest

Around a long, set table, the crowd of Chassidim held their breath, afraid to miss a word from Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Opatow, who sat at the table’s head, his face aflame with the words of Torah. Suddenly, Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua’s face broke into a warm smile, which widened until it crinkled his kind […]

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The Gift of Being Fully Here

Just imagine … What if we could allow ourselves to be fully present, wherever we are, at any given time, with full trust that this is where we are meant to be, where we are meant to give our full attention? Whether with another person, in our quiet connection with our Creator, with what we […]

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10 Ways to Be More Responsible

Too many people eschew responsibility and blame others for their faults and failures. If they don’t blame others, then they tend to blame the ephemeral: time, weather, traffic, bureaucracy, even G‑d. Certainly, other people and outside factors influence our lives, but the choices we make, the priorities we set and the path that we take […]

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Coronavirus Latest: Religious Leaders Get Creative To Engage With Members During Outbreak

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Many are relying on their faith to get through these uncertain and frightening times. But many are saying they can’t get to church or temple or wherever they worship because of guidelines designed to keep everyone safe. So religious leaders are having to get inventive on how to reach those who need […]

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About 200 young men pray in Crown Heights despite Cuomo ban on public gatherings

A group of at least 200 young men gathered Friday night to pray outside 770 Eastern Parkway, the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters, despite the announcement earlier that day by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo that nonessential gatherings of any size were banned as part of a broader effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. A uniformed […]

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Jewish students at Binghamton University celebrate Shabbat online

VESTAL (WBNG) — Binghamton University’s Chabad Center is changing up their annual Shabbat dinner, which typically draws thousands of students. With the spread of COVID-19 and gatherings banned, religious leaders were forced to either cancel the event, or find a new way to host it. We spoke with religious leaders prior to the start of […]

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Coronavirus In New Rochelle: Bringing Purim To Families

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The recent Jewish holiday of Purim posed a dilemma for members of New Rochelle’s Jewish community who were told to go into quarantine because of possible exposure to the new coronavirus. A 50-year-old man — a New Rochelle resident who works as an attorney in Manhattan — was infected with the […]

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Coronavirus Affecting Church Services, State Courts

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of everyday life in the city. On Friday, state officials confirmed that there are 50 positive COVID-19 cases, including one fatality, a Bergen County man. The rapidly evolving pandemic has forced several social gatherings, cultural events, religious ceremonies and more to be altered, […]

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