Sergey Kadinsky

 In the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, any of us can speak of a theater, museum, library, or any other cultural venue that was closed out of an “abundance of caution.” When some of these places reopened, we were curious to see how they adapted to social distancing and simply to reconnect to elements of New York that brought us back to a normal time. A couple of weeks ago, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on the west side of Manhattan reopened to the public, in time for a Chol HaMoed outing.

NYC Mayoral Hopeful Tours KGH After Rosenthal Endorsement

The excitement of the press conference where Assemblyman Daniel Rosenthal endorsed Andrew Yang for mayor is not unusual for the candidate. Seemingly everywhere he goes, there is interest in this non-politician running for the nation’s most high-profile mayoralty.

Last year, when many Jewish newspapers posted cancellations of Pesach resort programs, and others entirely scrapped their Chol HaMoed travel sections, the Queens Jewish Link published a staycation guide that highlighted local parks where one can commune with nature, taking a break from Zoom classes and GoToMeetings. Since then, most public attractions around New York have reopened with caution, which involves mandatory masks, temperature checks, and limited capacity. The New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows remains closed to the public, while Liberty Science Center requires reservations days in advance of a visit.

A couple of months ago, Senator Chuck Schumer held a Zoom meeting with Jewish community leaders and activists outlining his role as the incoming Senate Majority Leader, and the position’s impact on funding Jewish institutions. This week, the self-described “Shomer Israel” delivered results, inserting $2.75 billion in support in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.

The street-facing side of Congregation Anshei Shalom of West Hempstead has the appearance of a house, but behind it is a soaring sanctuary filled with artwork and ornate architecture. But then there are the trailers across Hempstead Avenue that also belong to this shul, in use for its Sephardic minyan, teen minyan, and youth groups.

This past Sunday, a leading expert on vaccination spoke at a forum sponsored by more than a dozen Jewish organizations, seeking to encourage the public to take the shot against COVID-19. Among the sponsors was the Queens Jewish Link. “There are many legitimate questions that people have about vaccines,” said COVID Plasma Initiative cofounder Chaim M. Lebovits. “On the other side, there are some rumors that are flat out false and have absolutely no basis in truth.”