By Dr. TZVI DWOLATZKY (My Jewish Learning via JTA) – There is a marked difference between the intended feeling of being uncomfortable with not eating or drinking for 25 hours and actually becoming ill as a result of not getting enough liquids and nutrients. Yom Kippur not only requires emotional preparation, but physical as well. A person can take several […]

By SHIRA HANAU NEW YORK CITY (JTA) – When Passover arrived just a few weeks after the pandemic set in earlier this year, it was clear that seders with families and friends would not be happening. Five months later, as Jews across the country prepare for the High Holidays, calculating risk has become much harder. The pandemic seems under control […]

ALBANY– Neil and Shari Piper of Albany have organized the 2020 Lustgarten Foundation’s Albany Capital District Virtual Walk for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Registration for the virtual walk set for Sunday, Sept.13, may be obtained at http://www.lustgarten.org/albanywalk. Due to COVID-19, this year the walk will be held virtually. Registered walkers may participate from wherever they live and walk as individuals or […]

ALBANY–The Beth Emeth Sisterhood is planning a walk on the Rail Trail and a Shabbat is Calling evening. For anyone craving female conversation and eager to take a scenic outdoor walk, a walk, open to any woman in the community,  has been set for the Rail Trail on Saturday, Sept. 5, from 4 – 5:30 p.m. The group will meet at the train […]

Chabad of Colonie has announced that the organization will pass out free 100% cotton washable masks on Thursday, Aug. 6, from 4-5 p.m. at 284 Osborne Rd.  Those interested in obtaining a mask are asked to call 518-368-7886 to make a reservation prior to the drive by pick up. The mask give-away is part of the Chabad of The Capital District’s […]

By SHIRA HANAU NEW YORK CITY (JTA) – That hummus may not be as healthful as you want to believe, according to an environmental advocacy group’s latest research. Laboratory tests commissioned by the Environmental Working Group found glyphosate, the chemical better known as Roundup, in 80% of conventional chickpeas and hummus tested. Glyphosate, commonly used to kill weeds, is considered a […]

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, health officials have been clear and consistent in their message to seniors: While anyone can fall victim to COVID-19, those who are 65 and older are in a high-risk group. That’s why older Americans need to be especially careful and —in the case of the very elderly — family members may need to step in to […]

ALBANY–Congregation Beth Emeth will hold its second live streamed medical program “From Peanuts to Poison Ivy”at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7. The program, sponsored by The Renaissance Group (TRG) of the congregation, will feature a conversation between two Capital Region doctors: allergist Dr. Michael Katlan and dermatologist Dr. Joe Schwartz.. Schwartz will host the conversation and field questions from […]

By BEN HARRIS NEW YORK CITY (JTA) – Like many small business owners, Ian Yosef Hertzmark’s small flour operation saw a precipitous drop when the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States in March. Almost overnight, Hertzmark’s Migrash Farm, which produces certified kosher flour from grain grown in the Chesapeake Bay region, lost virtually his entire wholesale business after local restaurants […]

By BEN SALES NEW YORK CITY (JTA) – When Jewish camp directors explained their reasons for canceling camp this summer, state and local prohibitions were typically at the top of the list. We can’t even think about opening camp, they would say, because the government won’t let us. Now that’s changing. States across the country have told day camps, overnight camps […]