Tag Archives: Orthodox Jews

Religion News Service reports: A group of Orthodox rabbis in New York and Baltimore has released a series of direct and passionate black-and-white public service announcements encouraging Jews to get vaccinated for COVID-19. “We in the community have to realize that if 99% of doctors say to take the shot, you take the shot. What are we, playing games?” says …

Israel Hayom reports: A popular rabbi urged his followers not to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, warning them that doing so, it might “turn them” into homosexuals. Rabbi Daniel Asor’s assertion goes against decrees issued by leading rabbis in Israel and around the world, who have called on ultra-Orthodox society to take every precaution against the global pandemic, including getting …

The New York Daily News reports: New York Attorney General Letitia James is launching an investigation into a Brooklyn-based health care network that publicly boasted about doling out coronavirus vaccine shots on a “first come, first serve basis” in apparent violation of the state’s restrictions on inoculations. In a statement Monday, James said her office opened the probe after learning …

Gothamist reports: Health care providers who fraudulently obtain and distribute the coronavirus vaccine could lose their licenses and face up to $1 million in fines, under a new executive order announced Monday by Governor Andrew Cuomo. The threat comes amid a widening fraud investigation into ParCare Community Health Network, a chain of urgent care clinics catering to Orthodox Jews in …

The New York Daily News reports: As coronavirus cases continue to surge across New York City, a Brooklyn synagogue will be slapped with a $15,000 fine for hosting a huge wedding in violation of restrictions aimed at reducing the COVID infection rate, Mayor de Blasio said Monday. “We know there was a wedding. We know it was too big. We …

The New York Post reports: A Hasidic synagogue in Brooklyn planned the wedding of a chief rabbi’s grandson with such secrecy it was able to host thousands of maskless celebrants without the city catching on. Despite a surge in COVID-19 cases, guests crammed shoulder-to-shoulder inside the Yetev Lev temple in Williamsburg for the Nov. 8 nuptials — stomping, dancing and …

ABC New York reports: Skirmishes broke out between supporters and opponents of President Donald Trump as a Jews For Trump convoy of hundreds of cars draped with American flags and Trump 2020 banners rolled slowly through Manhattan and Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon. The caravan traveled from Coney Island to the Trump Tower in Manhattan before heading to a rally in …

The Jewish News reports: Ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election, some 75 percent of U.S. Jews would vote for Democratic nominee Joe Biden, while 22 percent would vote to re-elect U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a poll released on Monday by the American Jewish Committee. In 2016, 71 percent of American Jews voted for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary …

NBC New York reports: Health officials in New York delivered a ban days before a scheduled wedding after receiving reports that “upwards of 10,000 individuals” were scheduled to attend the ceremony in Brooklyn, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. At his briefing Saturday, the governor explained that state officials received word of a the wedding after the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office issued …

Gothamist reports: A prominent Hasidic rabbi who tested positive for COVID-19 last week continued leading large indoor prayer services in Borough Park this weekend — even after the New York City Sheriff’s Office issued the synagogue a fine for violating the governor’s hot spot restrictions. The Bobov-45 shul was one of five religious congregations in Borough Park that received a …

The New York Post reports: Dozens of noisy protesters gathered outside the Brooklyn home of an Orthodox journalist on Sunday night in reaction to the arrest of activist Heshy Tischler for allegedly inciting an unruly mob to attack him. “No Heshy, no peace,” the protesters chanted at Jacob Kornbluh, a reporter for Jewish Insider who was assaulted last Wednesday during …

The New York Daily News reports: City officials gave out 62 fines totaling $150,000 for violations of COVID-19 rules in hot spots in Brooklyn and Queens over the weekend, the city government said Sunday. Five unnamed religious institutions were among those hit with fines. The crackdown came amid an alarming spike in COVID cases from Borough Park, Brooklyn, to Kew …

Gothamist reports: A federal judge on Friday denied a request by Jewish organizations to temporarily block Governor Andrew Cuomo’s order to restrict attendance at houses of worship as part of a renewed shutdown in regions of the state experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases. “[The governor] has lawfully exercised his power without religious animus to make sure we don’t find …

Forbes reports: Orthodox Jewish groups in New York City filed a federal lawsuit Thursday in an attempt to block New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recent restrictions on the number of people allowed in a house of worship amid a sharp spike in coronavirus infections – the suit comes after two nights of chaotic demonstrations against the crackdown. Cuomo announced heavy …

Gothamist reports: Harold “Heshy” Tischler strolled onto 13th Avenue in Borough Park at 9 p.m. Wednesday night, bare-faced and hoarse from days of screaming, and into the arms of an adoring crowd. Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators chanted his name, waving Trump and Thin Blue Lines flags as they jockeyed for a chance to meet the brash right-wing radio host leading …

NBC New York reports: Members of the ultra-Orthodox community in New York City gathered on the streets late Tuesday to protest the new restrictions imposed on neighborhoods with alarming numbers of new COVID-19 cases. Some protesters attempted to block the camera when NBC New York’s crew arrived at the scene in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn, but video shows …

The New York Daily News reports: Gov. Cuomo unveiled a plan to combat coronavirus “clusters” Tuesday that includes closing businesses and limiting religious gatherings in areas seeing a surge in cases. The governor called the measure a “last resort” and blamed the uptick in infections in the city on Mayor de Blasio failing to enforce social distancing and mask-wearing mandates. …

Gothamist reports: Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday announced that he would seek to close non-essential businesses and all schools, both public and private, in nine ZIP codes in South Brooklyn and Central Queens where coronavirus cases have surged for weeks, as health officials scramble to avert a broader outbreak. “In Brooklyn and Queens we are having an extraordinary problem, …

The New York Post reports: The outer-borough COVID spike is growing. City Hall revealed late Wednesday that the major southern Brooklyn coronavirus outbreak cluster now spans from Brighton Beach all the way to eastern Crown Heights. Central Queens and Far Rockaway also recorded coronavirus- infection rates of between 3 percent and almost 7 percent based on a two week rolling …

The New York Times reports: Facing a worrying spike in coronavirus cases in Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, New York City health officials began carrying out emergency inspections at private religious schools on Friday and threatened to impose an extraordinary lockdown in those communities that would be the first major retreat by the city on reopening since the pandemic began. Mayor Bill …