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| Screenshot of the Boro Park event |
There has been a lot criticism about Charedi bashing of late. Bashing - not so much from the secular Jewish media. But from Modern Orthodox quarters. Or to be more precise, from Rabbi Yitz Greenberg.
Two articles have appeared recently that have condemned such criticism as inaccurate and unfair. The first one was by Rabbi Avi Shafran with which I dealt a few days ago. The latest one is by Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer where he castigates Rabbi Greenberg with the following:
Greenberg largely blames the large number of COVID-19 casualties in the haredi population on the alleged haredi refusal to close down their institutions and practice social distancing. He fails to note that the overwhelming majority of haredi yeshivot and synagogues did indeed close down upon being instructed to do so, and that nearly all haredi communal events were canceled; the number of institutions which remained open for a brief time, as well as the number of public gatherings, were the exceptions, yet Greenberg portrays these as the norm, so as to play the blame game and score big against the haredim.
As I said about Rabbi Shafran’s article, I agree that broad brush criticism such as this against Charedim is unfair. The truth is that once the dangers of COVID-19 were made clear, the vast majority of Charedim – led by their rabbinic authorities - followed (and even exceeded) the guidelines outlined by public health officials.
This is still true. For example, here in Illinois as of May 1st (last Friday) churches are now allowed to hold services as long as those in attendance wear masks and social distancing is meticulously followed. But in a message released last Friday, Orthodox rabbis from across the entire spectrum of Orthodoxy are requiring all synagogues to remain closed until further notice.
This fact clearly refutes Rabbi Greenberg’s assertion that Charedi theology is responsible for the spread of the virus. It is not theology that caused certain Charedi neighborhoods to be more affected. It was their population density combined with the an Orthodox lifestyle that finds us more often in close social settings. (Like Davening with a Minyan 3 times a day.) In other words it was a situation born of crowds and custom – Not of any kind of theology that rejects medical advice.
Nothing new so far. This is pretty much what I said in agreement with Rabbi Shafran’s article. But as I also pointed out - there are significant groups within the Charedi community where such criticism is valid. In those cases Rabbi Greenberg is not that far off.
They are not just few outliers doing their own thing, but members of specific Chasidic groups. This was the case at a funeral that was held in Williamsburg where hundreds of Chasidim attended. None of whom observed anything resembling social distancing.
There are those who might argue that these people are the very definition of outliers. But I’m not sure you can call that many people outliers. I think you have to consider them a segment of the Charedi world. One that ignores public policy. Not so much based on their theology. But on an attitude of mistrusting the outside world. I guess they don’t believe that attending the funeral of their Chasdic Rebbe is a life threatening enterprise – even as that Rebbe succumbed to the very disease they are dismissing as non life threatening.
But even if one were to concede that the Chasidim that attended the funeral in Willimsburg are outliers, what about the crowd of Chasidim that attended a funeral in Boro Park just a couple of days later? And the Satmar Shuls in Williamsburg that police found open? As reported in VIN:
In the Borough Park episode, the NYPD heard that a car carrying a body would be passing through the intersection so family members in the area could recite prayers, according to Yeshiva World News, an Orthodox news website. Concerned about possible large crowds, the NYPD dispatched officers to the area but, when they tried to limit the assembly to family only, chaos erupted. A spokeswoman for the NYPD confirmed that one 17-year-old boy was taken into custody and issued a summons for disorderly conduct.
Videos circulating on Twitter and Whatsapp on Thursday showed an increased police presence in two heavily Orthodox neighborhoods in Brooklyn, with Yeshiva World News reporting that as many as 75 tickets were issued to those walking outside without masks or violating social distancing guidelines.
Police also visited several Satmar Hasidic synagogues that were open in Williamsburg on Thursday. No summonses were issued in one study house where social distancing was being followed, the website reported.
But the NYPD issued 10 summonses at two synagogues in South Williamsburg, eight for chaining doors from the inside and three in regard to social distancing, according to an NYPD spokeswoman.
These people cannot be classified as outliers. There are just too many of them. This does not make what Rabbi Greenberg said OK. He has painted the Charedi community with too broad a brush stroke. On that score he is wrong.
His theological views seem to be problematic too, if I understand them correctly. I agree with Rabbi Gordimer. To deny God’s hand in this is to deny a basic premise of Judaism. Yes, this is a natural phenomenon. But guess Who’s responsible for natural phenomena?
Why God is doing this is not for us to know. At least not in our day when prophesy no longer exists. No one knows the mind of God. But at the same time - with respect to 2 separate groups of Chasidim that attended funerals in both Wlliamsburg Boro Park, Rabbi Greenberg is right in his criticism - even as he wrongly blames their theology. Unless you consider mistrusting the outside world part of their theology. I don’t think you can say that.
As I have said many times, the mistrust is perpetuated by a policy of ‘social distancing’ from anything or anybody outside of their own world. Seeing it all as anti Torah. It is therefore no surprise that they have flouted the law in these cases. ‘What does the secular law know about Judaism?’ ‘Who should they listen to?’ ‘The anti Torah secular world or the laws of Kavod Hameis (respecting the dead).’ It is a no brainer to them.
To be clear, I want to emphasize once again that I do not believe the vast majority of Chasidim think or act this way. But is should be obvious that there are some groups in the Charedi world that do flout public health guidelines. In ways that can endanger everyone.