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2020-09-29 Israel-Palestine-Jordan
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Why are some ultra-Orthodox rabbis ignoring COVID-19?
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[JPost] - The now infamous tisch celebration by the Vizhnitz Hassidic community in Bnei Brak on Monday night after the end of Yom Kippur gave graphic and shocking evidence of the fact that some haredi (ultra-Orthodox) rabbinic leaders are simply trying to ignore the massive COVID-19 outbreak among their community and the nation at large.
What is even more striking is that the event in question was not a prayer service, critical religious ceremony or life-cycle event, egregious as mass gatherings for such events still are during the current pandemic, but a traditional and convivial gathering for which there is no religious obligation.
In the haredi world, standards of behavior are largely set by the rabbinic leadership, so if a leading rabbi of a community forbids any particular action, there are few who would dare to publicly contravene such an order. Conversely, if the rabbi permits something, few in the community would second-guess such a position.
...What can the explanation be for what many see as a cavalier and irresponsible approach to the lives of their congregants and the broader country, especially when protecting life is one of the most important injunctions in Halacha?
The haredi world has largely been built on isolationism from the rest of society and on strong communal association, especially in the hassidic communities where their infrastructure and institutions are all-embracing and nurturing.
...Synagogue attendance, and even tisches, are critical parts of communal life, while a connection to the rebbe is a strong bond that binds hassidim to the community.
Just like any other sect
The coronavirus pandemic and the resultant social-distancing regulations that have been adopted by governments worldwide have threatened to strike at the heart of this social construct.
...During the shutdown in March and April when yeshivas were closed, many haredi youth found themselves at a loose end and without a solid framework, and many reportedly lost interest in religious life.
According to Prof. Yedidya Stern, an expert on haredi society at the Israel Democracy Institute, ultra-Orthodox leaders who have prioritized communal life and events over health regulations are demonstrating their concern for the greater future of their community over immediate concerns for their physical safety.
Also they're used on free-riding on the back of the rest of Israeli society - so why not take advantage of the Israel's medical system? Get herd immunity (they're too ignorant of "apostate science" to realize that herd immunity is a fiction) for their own before the medical system is overwhelmed.
"Belonging to an Eastern European religious sect is very far from being a natural thing in the 21st century," he said.
The potential for disruption to such communities by the COVID-19 pandemic is so large that it could undermine the viability of the ultra-Orthodox model — and this is a risk the rebbes and others are not prepared to take.
I sure hope that the thousands yeshiva students in isolation now will be provided with access to internet while there 
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Posted by g(r)omgoru 2020-09-29 15:55||
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