The centuries-old premium Jewish communities place on religious gatherings is running headlong into the need for isolation amid the unyielding coronavirus pandemic. Like other religious institutions, Jewish communities around the country are attempting to adapt their traditions to government guidance designed to protect against the virus' spread, like holding online services and gatherings: virtual prayer in the wake of the current epidemic. But in and around New York, authorities complain that, far from discouraging gatherings, a few Orthodox Jewish leaders are leading prayer groups, celebrations and receptions that have been specifically prohibited by emergency orders in both New York and...
