Passover Under Lockdown: Israeli Jews Revise the Rituals

JERUSALEM — Singing outdoors. Participating remotely in a relative’s Zoom Seder. Leaving apartment doors open so solitary neighbors can hear the recitations. Israeli Jews are seeking novel ways of celebrating this week’s Passover holiday, traditionally a festival of freedom and community, after the government announced strict curfews to limit social gatherings. On the first night…

How Coronavirus Attacks the Body

You’re looking at a virtual reality image of a coronavirus patient at George Washington Hospital in Washington, D.C. The patient is a generally healthy 59-year-old man with high blood pressure. Just days before this image was created, he was asymptomatic. But now, those green areas show where the infection has damaged tissue in the lungs.…

Ramen (and Udon) Available for Home

Instant ramen is one thing. What sets serious ramen apart is the deeply flavored, long-simmered broth, infusing all the components — vegetables, meats, eggs, tofu, seasonings and of course, noodles — with soulful richness. But even if you have ample time for leisurely cooking, would you have a pot of tonkotsu broth bubbling away with…

How to Keep ‘Zoombombers’ Out of Your Meetings

As Zoom’s user base has grown in recent weeks, reports of “Zoombombing,” or “Zoom raiding,” have spread across the internet. Public school classes, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, yoga sessions and other virtual gatherings have been derailed by participants. Some of the these Zoombombers have been students, frustrated by online schooling and eager to escape the virtual…

Embracing the Uncertainties

These are, safe to say, uncertain times. The confirmed global cases of illness from coronavirus are approaching 1.5 million, and reported deaths are well into the six figures, but what are the true rates of infection and mortality? We don’t know. Last week, Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,…