We’re tracking the impact of the coronavirus on the Jewish world. Here’s what we know.

Philissa CramerLaura E. Adkins

NEW YORK (JTA) — Like the rest of the world, the Jewish world is reeling as the novel coronavirus spreads. We’ll be tracking the latest developments here.

Have an idea or question? Reports of coronavirus in your community? Send us an email.

Communal religious life is adapting.

  • In Milan, an epicenter of infection, houses of worship were ordered closed. That meant a scaled-down celebration for one bar mitzvah boy, whose party was supposed to have 600 people but instead was for family only. (A Syrian Muslim donated a tree in the boy’s honor after reading our story.)

Schools are closing and adjusting.

Purim and Passover are approaching.

A cluster of cases involves New York Jews.

  • A 50 year-old Orthodox attorney who lives in New Rochelle — along with his wife, daughter, son and neighbor — have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The attorney is in critical condition.
  • On Wednesday, a friend of the attorney who also lives in New Rochelle tested positive as well — along with his wife and three children. The family is under self-quarantine.

Travel is affected.

  • The Auschwitz Memorial and Museum has called on organizers of trips to the historical site to refrain from bringing visitors from countries that have been affected by the coronavirus.

Israel reacted early.

  • Israel opened special quarantine voting sites for the national election on Monday. But some workers, fearing disease, have declined to open ballots from those sites.

 
 

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