What do you do when there’s a hole in the boat?
The recent data revealing that 40 percent of all confirmed cases of COVID-19 are members of the ultra-Orthodox sector impels all of us, and not just the ultra-Orthodox, to engage in serious self-scrutiny and soul-searching.
On the one hand, a fundamental principle of a pluralistic society respectful of human rights is honoring a minority’s right to its religion, its culture, and its language. Its members have a right to live according to their own values and culture, to conduct public prayers, and to educate their children as they see fit.
On the other hand, these rights, like all others, are not absolute. There are times when the minority’s autonomy must take a back seat in order to protect the citizenry as a whole.
Israel, like every other country, is battling the coronavirus pandemic. Extremely harsh restrictions on freedom of movement, on conducting business, and on the right to enjoy cultural events have been imposed on the public in recent weeks, in an attempt to curtail the spread of contagion and to ensure that it will be possible to provide proper treatment for those who contract the virus. From the start, the authorities defined certain exceptions to these restrictions in order to permit public prayer and Torah study in ultra-Orthodox yeshivot. In the last few days, we have seen that even the lenient rules set for services on Yom Kippur were brazenly flouted by many groups in the community, though not by all of the ultra-Orthodox.
We are not referring here to the behavior of individuals who decided to do whatever they please. And we must note that there are lawbreakers in every sector of the public. However, as the photos of the buses transporting yeshiva students home at the height of the strict lockdown reveal, in this case, we are dealing with organized activity. According to Major Gen. (res.) Roni Numa, in charge of overseeing the battle against the pandemic in the ultra-Orthodox sector, about 10,000 yeshiva students, out of the total of 40,000, did not adhere even to the rules adapted specifically to address their needs, and did not have themselves tested for the virus before they went home on vacation. In light of the high incidence of COVID-19 in the sector, there is a serious fear that the disease will spread to their families and to the public at large.
This isn’t a case of a handful of people who thumbed their noses at the restrictions, but rather a conscious decision by some of the ultra-Orthodox rabbis. The problem is that the risks involved do not threaten only the followers of that rabbi. They affect the public as a whole, the same public that will have to make use of the same limited resources available in the hospitals, if there is a sharp upswing in contagion. At this point, the self-segregation of ultra-Orthodox communities comes to a halt; most of their members will not hesitate to be admitted to public hospitals for treatment, if needed.
We must acknowledge that the handwriting was on the wall. Since the founding of the state, the “professional scholars” (“toratto omannutto”) deal, in its various forms, has made rabbis and yeshiva deans into middlemen between the state and the IDF on one side, and their students of draft age, on the other. A state’s sovereignty is expressed in the fact that all its laws apply to all living within its territory. However, in many matters related to the ultra-Orthodox, the state seems to have pulled back from imposing its sovereignty, and accepted the convenience of “dialogue” and “consensus” with ultra-Orthodox leadership.
In the present crisis as well, the same approach seems to have been adopted — one law for citizens in general, and another — for the ultra-Orthodox, providing their rabbis agree. As we see, this approach has failed miserably.
Over the years, some have asserted that, in the name of tolerance towards the minority or in light of practical considerations, we must come to terms with the fact that young ultra-Orthodox men do not serve in the IDF and are exempted from having to do their part in rowing the national boat. But now we see that while most of us are frantically bailing the water out of the boat, many of the ultra-Orthodox are drilling holes in the hull, that may drown us all.
This situation requires a fundamental change of course — a U-turn — in the relationship between the state and the ultra-Orthodox. Developing a healthier relationship requires caution and consideration. Respect for the ultra-Orthodox lifestyle? Yes. Dialogue? That too is appropriate. The state renouncing its sovereignty and allowing rabbis to exercise unlimited power as the brokers between their flocks and the state? Absolutely not! We must put an end to this situation if we have the will to live.
21 comments:
Very disappointing how the Fressers have activated R' Sruly Reisman as the lead for a new propaganda video together with R' Elya Brudny & R' Moshe Tuvya Lieff.
Rabbi Reisman starts off with the usual unhinged Agudah Fresser shprach to level insults at Cuomo. Then the 3 Musketeers put a new spin on twisting everyone's arms who is negative from high antibody count to run out & get tested. The Fressers have stopped admitting out loud their sick motivation is to artificially skewer the City infection rates to trend down. Now they are B.S.ing you that not only it's for your own good, but that you need to keep getting tested over & over AND over.
To accommodate this scam, the Fressers have set up testing around town at shuls & yeshivos. They show people strolling in unannounced to Zucker's yeshiva in Marine Park which is a branch of Chaim Berlin partnered with Seton Hall University to give MBA degrees.
Reisman continues the Belsky strongman talk - shame on him!
Every yeshiva & girls school opened in Boro Park yesterday, business as usual.
de Blasio knows this because it was all over the news. And he also knows all about the scam to dilute the infection stats, yet he folds like a cheap camera & announced on tv that everything is just great & oif a veg that he will soon be mevatel the lockdown.
Cuomo also knows about this but hasn't said a word.
It's the same thing in Monsey, all the yeshivos are open & brazenly busing & going in the front doors. Ramapo Police & Spring Valley Police will maybe make one show raid each then sit back to do nothing. County Executive Ed Day has already started his fake shpiel that Cuomo supposedly won't allow the County Sheriff to do any enforcement.
But in Orange County they are slapping the $15k fines on KJ yeshivos like they are supposed to.
What the heck is going on? Since when does Cuomo make such a blatant fool out of himself?
Is it going to be the same story with the overnight summer camps? Are they actually going to pull the operator licenses of all the scofflaw Fressers they caught red handed? Or was it all bluster?
I heard this third hand...may be true...certain wealthy people are picking up the tabs on the fines in the chassidishe world. The rebbes are intimidated by their gvirim....
Never mind what the seforim say, in Fresserville we've decided that azus punim is the feinste midda!
https://gothamist.com/news/some-borough-park-yeshivas-remain-open-defying-cuomos-targeted-covid-cluster-shutdown
Hundreds of school children appeared on the streets of Boro Park Tues morning. Backpacks in tow, they walked from stoops to school buses, disembarking outside the open doors of the yeshivas. They move quickly, heeding warnings to arrive on time or be turned away.
Facing an uptick in virus rates, Gov Cuomo mandated 300 public & private schools in 9 hotspot zones to remote learning.
Many yeshivas spurn the shutdown order in ultra-Orthodox Boro Park, home to one of the highest infection rates.
According to a parent, nearly all yeshivas ignore Cuomo's order. His 6 kids attend school this week, adding it's "mostly in the open."
"It doesn’t look like the govt plans any enforcement, so they’re not worried," said the parent, who asked for anonymity. "It’s not like the mayor or Gov don't know what’s going on. They don’t want to do anything about it."
After all schools shut during the 1st wave, yeshivas continued operating, earning "verbal warnings" from authorities.
Heshy Friedman, a 57 year old Boro Park resident who opposes lockdown, said some schools took steps to conceal the illegal instruction, such as encouraging kids to avoid uniforms or using separate entrances.
"No yeshivas see this as closing," Friedman said.
Outside Bnos Zion Bobov on 14th Ave — in the most restrictive "red" zone — dozens of school buses circled the block Tues morning. The school, with 1,800 students, has not reported any data to the State. Inquiries were not returned.
At Bais Esther next door, students arrived for illicit instruction. Asked why in-person classes are taking place, a secretary told Gothamist, "I don't really want to answer you," & hung up.
No enforcement agencies were spotted over the morning.
Mayor de Blasio faces continued scrutiny from Cuomo & residents on selective enforcement of rules. "A law doesn’t work if you’re incompetent or frightened to enforce it,” the Gov said.
According to a City Hall spokesman, the Office of Special Enforcement & NYC Health Dept are charged with compliance at private & public schools. Neither the NYPD nor the Sheriff's Office are involved, despite being tasked with enforcement at synagogues.
“City inspectors enforce state guidelines & make sure schools are closed," mayoral press secretary Mitch Schwartz said. "As the mayor said, this is a critical week – we continue everything we can to keep New Yorkers safe.”
It wasn't clear if any yeshiva had been issued a citation for remaining open. Resistance to closing follows a busy holiday, as 100s packed in synagogues & partied in the street in spite of the state ban.
Virus positivity in Boro Park is 5x the city average.
For Suzanna Riordan, adjunct at CUNY, lockdown means her daughter's school, in the "orange" zone, was forced to close without 1 case of COVID.
She said her child is emotional & disappointed to be missing in-person learning once again.
That yeshivas continue in-person instruction, while public schools remain closed, only added to her frustration. "It just doesn't seem fair," she said.
https://abc7ny.com/health/school-in-blatant-violation-as-mayor-praises-covid-restrictions/7002171/
Who's the ferd outside the Gerrorist Bais Yaakov who lashed out at the ABC reporter of Korean descent with the racial slur against Chinese?
Gov Cuomo just said at a briefing that he is aware of Brooklyn yeshivos brazenly staying open. He cited places mentioned on this blog and said he will tighten the screws by denying de Blasio State funds until he enforces the lockdown laws!
Hey Gov, do you read this blog in REAL TIME or what?
Haha! Cuomo, didn't you go beserk when the President threatened to withhold Federal funds from NY?
Remember that almost fist fight in Melbourne that the Fressers picked with the neighbors who objected to the oylam coming out of Maariv?
https://omny.fm/shows/mornings-with-neil-mitchell/police-at-no-stage-identified-cho-rule-breaches-at
Maybe de Blasio's cousin is the Mayor down under because the illegal minyanim at Adas Yisroel are also being swept under the carpet by police
https://gothamist.com/news/borough-park-synagogue-covid-positive-rabbi-still-holding-large-indoor-prayer-services-despite-15000-fine
A prominent Hasidic rabbi who tested positive for COVID last week continued leading large indoor services in Boro Park — even after the NYC Sheriff issued a fine for violating the Gov's hot spot restrictions.
Bobov 45 was one of 5 congregations in Boro Park that received a $15,000 fine Saturday for flouting Gov Cuomo's order that houses of worship limit attendance.
"These big congregations raise $100,000s this holiday alone," said Heshy Friedman, a 57 year old Boro Park resident who opposes the lockdown. "$15,000 isn't a big deal for them. It's worth it."
In an interview with Gothamist, Sheriff Joseph Fucito said it wasn't the agency's job to ensure people don't return to facilities they've cited for violations.
"The sheriff's job is we see a violation, we issue a summons," he said. "If you say they have some strategic plan to thwart rules, it's possible they can get away with it."
In the case of the Bobov 45, the $15,000 fine did not stop 100s of unmasked adherents from packing the shul for Simchat Torah, according to a person who attended. A reporter also observed dozens of people, few of whom were wearing masks. Those services were led by Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger, who congregants were informed tested positive for the virus last Friday, multiple sources said.
All who spoke to Gothamist asked their names be withheld out of fear of reprisal.
In total, the Sheriff issued 33 summonses on Fri & Sat. Fucito said no religious congregations were cited on Sunday because services finished by afternoon and "most sheriff activity happens in the later part of the evening."
The NYPD refused to provide enforcement details from this weekend.
Religious services are capped at 10 people in the "red zone". All mass gatherings are prohibited. Public & private schools, and non-essential businesses, are also required to close for minimum 2 weeks.
Asked about Bobov 45, Gov Cuomo said he hoped further action would be taken at the local level. "You cannot allow a law to be violated or no one will follow it," he told reporters. "People will get sick. People will endanger nurses & doctors. People will infect innocent bystanders & people will die. This is not a joke."
The number of New York state residents hospitalized for coronavirus has doubled since early Sept,. In Boro Park, where COVID positivity is 5x the city average, local residents went about as usual this weekend.
Rose Rosenberg, a Boro Park resident without a mask on Sunday, told Gothamist the restrictions are "pure discrimination, pure anti-Semitism." She added that her brother had died from the virus in March. But she's convinced that growing alarm over the pandemic's return was "fake news."
"I'm not concerned about numbers going up because eventually everyone's going to have it," Rosenberg said. "They're all gonna survive. They'll have an illness like the flu & it will be over with. It's worth the risk."
The Silbers are a lovely family so it distresses me that the Agudah Fressers are making a bizayon out of Yeruchim Silber when they send him as their messenger boy to Cuomo with such lunatic psychobabble, ad kdai kach that I don't know how they will ever repair the Fresser-Albany rift!
This is the disgraceful, condescending script they had Yeruchim rattle off to the Governor in the last day (edited with different words to more clearly demonstrate the intent they are conveying):
https://www.boropark24.com/news/gov-cuomo-to-withhold-funding-from-any-schools-in-red-zones-that-remain-open
Andrew, We Fressers are very, very upset at you because you can make all the excuses you want that you suddenly got new info from epidemiologists, but you fort had the chutzpah to not bother to inform us before you ordered to close the yeshivos. And We are warning you, you won't be able to get away with this kind of unacceptable behavior again.
Now hert tzu, because you Mr. Governor, and your so called "experts" are completely wrong, so We Fressers will lecture you on how things really work. It's simply not true that yeshivos are virus incubators. I'm not giving you any raayos on this. We just know. Trust us.
And how dare you pre-emptively write into law that we cannot just retitle yeshivos as day cares! We Fressers have a legal opinion from Avi Schick that such institutions are the zelba zach. Schick tells us he is the smartest, most knowledgeable lawyer in America who knows more than all the judges combined, so it must be true!
COVID-19 Jewsiness in NYC: Reinhold Clothiers (4619 New Utrecht Avenue in Brooklyn) put this sign on their door:
We are closed! For appointment and Pickup Please call 718-438-9342
מיר זענען אפן! די אריינגאנג איז פון די זייטיגע טיר
The Yiddish part says: "We are open! The entrance is from the side door."
UOJ, WILL YOU FINALLY TAKE CARE OF THE MONSTER?
http://theunorthodoxjew.blogspot.com/2020/09/i-didnt-want-to-get-involved.html?showComment=1599160065326&m=1#c7922368983747390662
Try now :-)
your link now has "working: " before "http://" please delete that because it's not yet available.
PERFECT! YOU ARE MY HERO, UOJ!!!
:-)
Tischler, Belsky & Sruli Reisman are such gevaldig role models!
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri warns of a “revolt” by Haredim if yeshivas aren't allowed to reopen next week. Many Haredi institutions may open their doors even if barred by the govt.
According to Kan, the comments by Deri, head of the Haredi Shas party, came in a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu & other officials before the virus cabinet convenes Thurs to discuss easing restrictions.
“We’re headed for an explosion. If you don’t reach an arrangement with us, I really fear a revolt by Haredim. There will be large scale violations & hard to enforce regulations,” Deri is quoted.
Kan also reports many rabbis back reopening yeshivas next week despite opposition of Roni Numa, a former general who led official efforts to deal with the crisis in the Haredi community.
During a briefing Wed, Numa said infections haven't dropped enough to allow yeshivas to reopen.
“They ask us to open but we can’t allow it,” he said.
He said, however, boarding schools could reopen because students don't regularly go home.
Numa put positives among Haredim at 12.8%, double recent nationwide numbers.
He also said “we're still not far from Sukkot to understand what the holiday did & so we need to understand if it had negative effect.”
Earlier Wed, Kan aired footage of dozens of yeshiva students in Ashdod returning after Sukkot, despite closure of schools throughout Israel — with no social distancing & almost no masks.
Experts point to opening yeshivas in late Aug as a major factor in the massive spike in infections in Sept, especially in the Haredi community. Schools had promised to quarantine & impose various safety valves, but reports indicate few kept to them.
On Thurs, the virus cabinet will discuss whether to ease lockdown next week, including restaurant takeout, opening preschools & some small business & only kick in gear when the daily tally dips below 2,000 cases & person-to-person spread slows.
The govt also plans to differentiate cities with low & high infection rates, with so-called “red” zones remaining in lockdown longer & “green” areas open.
Sruly Reisman:
Would Rav Pam zt"l say what you said about our medina shel chessed? Would he say --- sure, sue the powerful Governor, it's the Torah way?
The whole bunch of you are impostors and traitors to the memories of R' Yaakov zt'l, Rav Pam zt"l and Yeshiva Torah Vodaath.
Resentment over Haredi disobedience to COVID rules will dominate Israel’s next election, likely to be characterized by an ugly sectarian campaign, the Israel Democracy Institute’s (IDI) president predicts.
Yohanan Plesner said today’s reality is the polar opposite of the “traffic light” plan by virus czar Ronni Gamzu: lockdown for “red” areas & near-normal life in “green” areas. Haredi politicians strongly opposed the plan, as it would've strongly affected their constituency.
Instead, Plesner said, Haredi violations became so serious there's a “reverse traffic light,” in which the most viral areas, instead of stepping up adherence to rules, disobey, while rules tend to be stringently followed in low-virus regions (it's of course debatable which is the cause & which the consequence).
Plesner, a former MK, spoke in a briefing to journalists & subsequent interview with The Times of Israel on Wed, as numerous Haredi violations over the Chagim still feature in the news & positive tests for Haredim are still double the national average.
Plesner notes Israel could see elections soon & anger felt by non-Haredim will be key in campaigning & could spill over in express hatred.
“If health & economics continue their current states, there's real danger legit criticism will devolve into ugly politics with dire implications for Israeli society,” he said.
Plesner’s warning is 2 days after President Rivlin said impassionately “the air is full of gunpowder” & “tribalism bursts through the cracks.”
Plesner said discord over Haredi conduct is a “turning point” with “major strategic implications for Israel as a state & for the way Israelis think.”
Discussing “vast consequences,” he notes Israel's accustomed that Haredim prop up coalitions & are granted their wishes, including vetoes on religion & state.
Plesner said while Netanyahu pays a “modest price” agreeing to demands, it can change as parties tap into anti-Haredi sentiment. If so, the national conversation could cross a line to anger & hate.
Plesner believes the best hope Haredim tackle disproportionate virus & diffuse societal friction, is to convince Haredim to accept local closures by Gamzu.
Major General Roni Numa, a govt virus coordinator working with the Haredi community, said Wed some Haredi towns may be forced to remain in lockdown for weeks after the rest of the country opens.
Gilad Malach, director of IDI’s division for researching Haredism, suggests carrot & stick with high investment in welfare in areas to remain locked down, matched by hardline policing vs large-scale violations, like yeshivas that open. Strong communication campaigns aimed at compliance is also needed, he said.
Malach believes an obstacle to Haredi compliance which isn’t understood: it's hard to get them to recognize seriousness of the virus.
When Israel went to lockdown last spring, Jerusalem pub owner Leon Shvartz saved his business, shifted to delivery-takeout that kept it afloat. Then came the 2nd lockdown
With restaurants-shops shut again, Shvartz struggles to survive, laid off 16 of 17 employees
By contrast, software maker Bizzabo quickly reinvented itself with virtual events. It more than doubled sales & is expanding its workforce
Such tales of boom & bust reflect Israel’s growing divide
Even before the pandemic, the country had one of the largest income gaps & poverty rates in developed economies, with a few high earners, mostly in tech, as many Israelis barely get by as civil servants, in services or as small business owners
Those gaps widened as the 2nd lockdown dealt a new blow to an economy already hit hard by the 1st round
Pandemic fallout also deepened long-simmering divisions among Jews, pitting a secular majority vs a powerful ultra-Orthodox minority
Prime Minister Netanyahu, target of mass protests vs his handling the pandemic, is seen favoring ultra-Orthodox at the expense of the greater good. In containing outbreak, Netanyahu opts for devastating blanket lockdown instead of targeted to infection hotspots, eg ultra-Orthodox communities, presumably to avoid upsetting his allies
Netanyahu initially won plaudits for his handling of the crisis, as he quickly sealed the border & imposed lockdown, which appeared to bring outbreak under control
But lockdown came at great cost, pushed unemployment to 35% as 100,000s were laid off, mainly in retail, travel & hospitality
In a 2nd, open-ended lockdown, 967,000+ people, 25% of the workforce, are jobless
Shvartz, who owns 2 bars & craft beer co Biratenu, scraped by with mail order until restaurants reopened in the summer. But regulations limit customers he can serve, cutting sales. Now, he & his 1 employee again focus on delivery. Business is down 60+% vs pre-pandemic
Alon Alroy, Bizzabo co-founder, faced similar existential crisis in March. In “the toughest month ever,” he let go 25% of his workforce & scrambled for a new strategy
They decided on virtual events. The key is beyond Zoom, an environment for engaging
The software allows large gatherings to network or break away for private meetings, just as at an old-fashion conference
Bizzabo rehired its workers & brought another 40 on to now employ 150 in Israel & New York
According to Start-Up Nation Central, Israeli firms have little difficulty attracting investors. “Israeli tech cos raised $7.24 billion this year, a 30% increase over last year,” said Uri Gabai, group general manager
Jon Medved, CEO of VC OurCrowd, said Israel's well-positioned, given many firms focused on sectors thriving in the crisis: digital health / tele-med, AI, cybersecurity & bank / e-retail tech. Israel’s new ties to UAE bring cash-rich investors
But as tech thrives, many others are left behind, creating fuel for angry protests
For 3+ months, 1000s of Israelis in demonstrations call for Netanyahu to resign, primarily due to handling of the economy. Many lost their job / business
Much public anger also turns to Haredi leaders, some of whose groups flout safety, send virus rates skyrocketing & vociferously resist targeted lockdowns. Critics accuse Netanyahu of coddling his political allies to protect himself while on trial for corruption
Economist Dan Ben-David, founder of Shoresh Institute & professor at Tel Aviv U, warned of these divisions for years
He said rural schools, Arabs & Haredim have long been neglected, leaving their students poorly prepared for the world
“Half the children in Israel get a 3rd World education,” he said
In the case of Haredim, neglect is intentional — religious leaders use clout to fund study of scripture exclusively over subjects like math
“We’re the only nation in the developed world to allow parents to deprive their children of core curriculum. That we allow it makes us complicit”
Post a Comment