Dear Jew in the City- Covid has a weird symptom of removing people’s senses of smell and taste. What do smell and taste represent in Judaism? Also, my whole family lost our sense of smell from Covid. How do we handle the besamim part of havdalah? Sincerely, Jody Dear Jody- Thanks for your question. I […]

Dear JITC- I just saw my parents after 13 months since Covid started, since they have now been vaccinated. I remember there being a blessing over seeing someone you are close to after not seeing them for a year. Can you tell me about this? Thank you, Annie Dear Annie- The Sages, who wrote the […]

Alexi Minko’s bar, the Alibi Lounge, is the first black and gay-owned business in Harlem, for which he has had to make creative and painful choices to keep afloat during the pandemic. To renew his lease, he must now come up with $15,000 by the end of the month. Minko’s landlord, Mordy Getz says, “Everyone […]

When more than 5,000 frozen vaccine doses faced expiration after a brutal winter storm cut power, a hospital faced a dilemma of how they could organize people to receive the shots. With a ticking clock, and hazardous driving conditions due to the snow, Houston Methodist Hospital had to find a place that was accessible by […]

Dear JITC- How will Covid affect Purim this year? Thank you, Rachel E. Dear Rachel E. – “I am no prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet….” – Amos 7:14 In other words, “How should I know?” Honestly, last Purim did any of us have any idea what Pesach would look like? Or […]

While almost 117,000 people have died from COVID in the United Kingdom, its Haredi community has been especially hard-hit, with 64% of its population testing positive in contrast to England’s 16%. Therefore community leaders created a pop-up vaccination site to coincide with motzaei Shabbos, so that as evening services ended, people could line up in […]