How the coronavirus is hitting Jewish communities worldwide

(JTA)—The impact of the coronavirus on the Jewish world is a study in contrasts.

In Israel, where the total death toll as of Tuesday was 238 and the number of new daily infections below 50, the country has significantly eased its lockdown. School has resumed for some grades, businesses have reopened, and on Thursday beaches and outdoor markets reopened.

But in many large Jewish communities worldwide, the coronavirus is still wreaking a terrible toll. Among the 8 million Jews living in the Diaspora—more than Israel’s 6.7 million but less than its overall population of 9.2 million—the death toll...