By Marilyn Shapiro Yes, I know the old adage that says life changes on a dime, and that you never know what will happen tomorrow. But now my life is filled with too many questions regarding the future. Will Larry, my husband, or I contract COVID-19? If we do, will we die? How about my children and grandchildren? What are their chances of […]

The philanthropic legacy of the late community leader Jane Golub, was noted at Jewish National Fund-USA’s (JNF-USA) recent local 6th annual Breakfast for Israel. Unlike previous years, this year’s breakfast was a virtual affair as 150 local community members gathered on the Zoom conferencing platform to celebrate their connections to Israel. Israel’s Consul General to New York Ambassador Dani Dayan […]

ALBANY–Congregation Beth Emeth in Albany will hold a virtual medical conversation about the Covid-19 pandemic on Wednesday, June 3, from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. “Ask the Doctors: Corona Virus Q & A” will involve a discussion between local physicians Dr. Joseph Schwartz and Dr. David Strumpf. Schwartz, a dermatologist with a private practice in Troy, will facilitate a discussion with […]

SCHENECTADY – The Schenectady Jewish Community Center will highlight the film “The Cakemaker” this month as part of its annual Jewish Film Festival. The film is not rated, but includes mature content, according to organizers, In this film, Thomas, a German baker played by Tim Kalkhof, is having an affair with Oren, an Israeli married man. When Oren (Roy Miller) […]

By MARILYN SHAPIRO Some day—hopefully in the near future—the COVID-19 pandemic will be behind us. Medical interventions to those infected will alleviate the pain, suffering, and deaths. A vaccine may be developed that can prevent others from becoming ill. Social distancing will no longer be necessary. We can go back to our lives, our jobs, our schools, our vacations, and […]

By MARILYN SHAPIRO As we tread carefully through the fourth month of the coronavirus pandemic, the emotional and physical devastation this plague has caused is felt acutely. As our days of sheltering at home continue, it has become much more real, much more personal and much more frightening. My husband Larry and I are feeling the impact, as I suspect […]

By MONICA TAN For the past several weeks, Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Northeastern New York has been “all hands-on deck” as it has modified what are typically face-to-face services to virtual support within the new social distancing mandates. Counseling support is now via telephone or virtually, as calls have increased and as isolation and anxiety have heightened. Scheduled programs […]

By MARILYN SHAPIRO As I now write for Jewish newspapers in both the Capital District and Central Florida, my articles often include Hebrew and/or Yiddish words. Understanding that people may not be familiar with these languages, I have made a concerted effort to make sure that I define those words in the context of the sentence. Yiddish Or Not? I […]

Eleven Holocaust survivors will join to light candles to commemorate the Shoah as part of an online community program to note Yom HaShoah on Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. Hedi McKinley, Ruth Mendel, Ivan Vamos, Murray Jaros, Jack Zuckerman, Carl Rosner, Bert Weinberg, Leslie Diamond, Toby Clyman, Harry Rosenfeld, and Anne Rosenfeld will be featured in a program sponsored […]

By MARILYN SHAPIRO One of Judaism’s most important holidays officially begins with the first seder on April 8. Pesach in the Time of the Corononvirus, however, will be very different. During these difficult times, I think of my parents, Fran and Bill Cohen. They, as did many of the “Greatest Generation,” went through several challenging times during their lifetimes. In […]