Top ultra-Orthodox rabbi (and Yanky): Unvaccinated teachers should not come to work
Rabbi Haim Kanievsky says teachers have an obligation to get vaccinated and should be suspended from work if they don’t do so.
Coronavirus Commisioner Dr. Salman Zarka meets with Rabbi Haim Kanievsky on Tuesday
Rabbi Haim Kanievsky, the leading Ashkenazi
non-hassidic ultra-Orthodox rabbi, has told school principals in the
sector that if school teachers are not vaccinated against COVID-19 they
should not teach.
Kanievsky’s
comments were made amid an increasing rate of coronavirus infection in
the ultra-Orthodox community resulting largely from the reopening of
haredi educational institutions at the start of the Jewish month of Elul
on August 8.
The
rabbi made his remarks in a meeting with coronavirus commissioner Dr.
Salman Zarka on Tuesday. He and other leading ultra-Orthodox rabbis have
repeatedly called on the haredi public to get the vaccine and booster
shot.
Zarka
raised the issue of unvaccinated teachers in the haredi sector, drawing
particular attention to institutions for children below age 12 who
cannot be vaccinated, and are therefore likely to infect unvaccinated
children.
According
to a statement from the Health Ministry, Kanievsky said that it was
"forbidden" for teachers to go to work unvaccinated and that men and
women involved in education had an obligation to get the vaccine.
The rabbi added that principals should suspend any unvaccinated staff.
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Coronavirus Commisioner Dr. Salman Zarka meets with Rabbi Haim Kanievsky (and Yanky) on Tuesday. (Yanky whispers in zeide's ear "Don't fall asleep now") |
Kanievsky added that the general public should make every effort to protect themselves
from COVID-19, including adhering to Health Ministry regulations, and
urged people to get the vaccine because it will prevent the cancellation
of Torah studies and prevent illness.
According to the Health Ministry, Zarka called on adults to get the third shot
of the vaccine and also asked for Kanievsky’s blessing for the success
of the current vaccination campaign at educational institutions.
"Kanievsky added that the general public should make every effort to protect themselves from COVID-19, including adhering to Health Ministry regulations..."
ReplyDeleteLook at the photo. Dr. Zarka is wearing a mask, and one other person in the room is wearing a mask.
How interesting. Self-interest playing out for the positive. Sure we'll mass vaccinate so we don't have to cancel yeshiva.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete"Yanky's rule: All white yarmulke people have to wear masks."
Dr. Zarka is a Druse, but he is wearing a white yarmulke. Which one of the Rabbi's palace guards gave it to him?
[N.B. I personally met Dr. Zarka when my wife was in discussions for possibly joining the staff at Ziv.].