CHESTER – Due to the coronavirus, synagogues, like all places of gathering, have temporarily closed their doors. But Chabad of Orange County at 1170 Route 17M, Suite 1 in Chester, does not see it as closing doors, but rather as opening new ones. “Hundreds of new synagogues have opened in Orange County,” said Rabbi Pesach […]

Question There is an ancient custom for Jewish firstborns to fast on the day before Passover (read why here) until they participate in a siyum (the completion of a tractate of Talmud) or another mitzvah celebration. It is customary to arrange a siyum in the synagogue after morning prayers to allow the firstborns to eat […]

Famed worldwide as a giant of Torah learning whose prowess as a Talmudist was matched by the depth with which he studied and applied the teachings of Chabad, Rabbi Yisroel Friedman was not only filled with Torah knowledge, but also with love for the Torah and with unbounded dedication to G‑d, the giver of the […]

Alachua County churches, synagogues and mosques adapt in tumultuous times so followers can keep the faith as holidays approach. Father Lawrence Peck says he can’t remember a time at St. Patrick’s Church when Mass wasn’t celebrated. But last week, leaders at Gainesville’s oldest Catholic church locked the doors of the Northeast 16th Avenue house of […]

If there is one Jewish food that virtually every Jew knows about, it’s matzah, the flat bread eaten at the Passover Seders and for the duration of the eight-day holiday. But how well do you know this food, which has been with us since the dawn of our peoplehood? Here are some of our favorite […]

Moshe Grunwald lived a full and long life. A scion of the Pupa Chassidic dynasty, he survived Auschwitz and the Nazi death marches, rebuilding his family and his life in America. A longtime resident of Brooklyn, N.Y., he passed away this week as dozens were felled by the coronavirus. The family was told that the funeral […]

Don’t think I haven’t wondered how Larry David was faring in the current COVID-19 crisis. The answer, it turns out is pretty, pretty good all things considered. But, like many older people, he wants to keep it that way. Last night we received a much-needed update from the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star, who, like most […]

Colel Chabad has been committed to helping needy families and the elderly in Israel since its inception in 1788. But this year—with its 23 soup kitchens across Israel shuttered and dozens of public Seders canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic—staff and volunteers are in a race against time to provide tens of thousands […]

Holy Week, leading up to Easter Sunday for Christians, begins with Palm Sunday this Sunday. And sundown next Wednesday, April 8, is the start of Passover for those of the Jewish faith. How can you observe these holy days in a coronavirus world? Church attendance is out. Churches have suspended all community activities because of […]

Stories about the coronavirus pandemic are free to read as a public service at tampabay.com/coronavirus. Sign up for our DayStarter newsletter to receive updates weekday mornings. If this coverage is important to you, consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Tampa Bay Times at tampabay.com/subscribe. A Boca Raton gathering of cousins around the Passover […]