Agudah of America Blasts Governor Cuomo’s Decision Today to Limit Shul Attendance

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Governor Cuomo’s surprise mass closure announcement today, and limit of 10 individuals per house of worship in “red zones,” is appalling to all people of religion and good faith. We have been down this path before, when religious practices were targeted for special treatment by the Governor’s Executive Order in May. A suit was filed challenging the Governor’s Order then (in which Agudath Israel filed an amicus brief), and the court found it unconstitutional. Repeating unconstitutional behavior does not make it lawful.



Moreover, it should be made clear that the Governor’s reference to a “good conversation” he had earlier today with a group of Orthodox Jewish leaders was largely a one-way monologue, and contained no mention of this new plan.



Agudath Israel intends to explore all appropriate measures to undo this deeply offensive action.



A final message to our community: We have considerable concerns that Governor Cuomo’s capricious actions will weaken compliance with good health practices. We cannot allow our – perhaps justifiable – anger at government to imperil our neighbors’ health.



14 COMMENTS

  1. This announcement comes as a total surprise! I fully expected them to say to the governor, “you’re right. We’ve done a lousy job of following our own guidelines and educating our people to follow sensible public safety practices, and now our communities are in trouble. As a religion that values human life above any and all political considerations, we thank the Governor for working with us, and commit to working from this moment forward with our own constituency to be great examples for all other New York communities in doing everything we can to keep people healthy and alive.”

  2. Ah Nechtigen Tahg – Either your being sarcastic or your just an idiot not sure which one hope it’s the first. A gutten moed

  3. Just please wear masks.if you know of people that have covid you must stay away as the rest of their families will most likely get it. Masks are most important as well as social distancing

  4. The rules apply to our people as well. Mask wearing in many Shuls has been optional. Making a kiddish or other simcha for 100, 150, or more people is not unusual in our community. If we behave like children who don’t listen. We will be treated like children and have to bear the punishment

  5. Ah Nechtigen Tug: if only Jews had enough common sense to have followed the suggestions of the gedolim and the doctors we would not be in this Matziv. If I am not going to be able to say Yizkor with a minyan this Shabbos I will put the blame squarely on the Chasidim and the others who refused to follow the rules.

  6. Mark Hecht: the problem is that the good will suffer with the bad. The Rav of my Shul in Lawrence took great pains, monetarily and otherwise, to modify the Shul to comply with each and every aspect of the law, and now he will have to close because other Lawrence wiseguys wont follow the rules.

  7. With respect, I think the Agudah should accept and recognize more responsibility on behalf of the community. Significant portions of the shuls and community members were not complying with health guidelines. The governor and mayor have responsibility to the state/city at large, which the Agudah does not. Is it really unexpected?

    As Rav Mayer Twerski wrote on April 22(“V’Chai Bohem”, Torah Web; see his most recent essay before Succos posted there):

    “While nothing else compares to the gravity of chillul Hashem, we must not ignore other severe consequences of our failures on this front. The chillul Hashem stemmed from the flippant attitude adopted to an immense danger to life. Who can possibly measure the dreadful ramifications of this attitude? Only God Himself can truly know.

    At this juncture, our obligation is twofold. We must mend — to the extent that such is possible — the mistakes of the past, while simultaneously, prospectively, charting a communal path which accords with the authentic Torah position.

    Regarding the past mistakes, we are obligated to publicly declare our guilt in having been willingly blind and deaf to the manifest reality and being shockingly flippant about the immense danger posed by that very reality. As for the future, we must emphasize — clearly and decisively — that the Torah demands our absolute alacrity in the face of danger to life. We must not look for pro forma loopholes or so-called solutions which –at best– may mitigate, but certainly will not eliminate, the dangers of this disease. The Torah absolutely condemns and forbids acting in a way which – under any circumstances – may allow for the death of a Jew”

  8. How easy we forget what was done to jews by governments. All of above comments are ignorant and blind. You are a sheep being led to slaughter and you go blindly after the government who is trying to control you. Religious freedom is important, I came from Russia where this freedom was taken away from us. And no government can take it away what god gave to jews. Cherish ur freedom while it lasts. And stand up for yourselves by not allowing government to rule your way of life. As jews you should know better. Shame on all of you who thinks that jews are at fault and kudos to all who stand up for their freedom.

  9. Shame on Agudat Israel
    They reflect dangerously upon our entire Jewish communities all over the United States.

  10. Your really stupid if you think that wearing a mask alone will solve and make the virus go away. If you feel that it is our job to go beyond the law (which makes no mention of wearing a mask outdoors) then you should encourage that all shuls, schools, and business be closed. Who cares if a person wont have parnaseh.

    I work in east new york which is a dominant black neighborhood and maybe 2 out of 10 are wearing masks and it is fine bc they are following the law. Its alot of bullshit to say that only jews are not following. Alo the zip codes listed also have alot of other nationalities leaving in those areas.

  11. If the scientists and Rabbonim tell the people to wear masks and people don’t listen they only have themselves to blame we have to set an example to the world and while it’s true that there are other nationalities that live in this zip code they don’t go to shul 3 times a day make kiddishes and have large weddings when we were warned that they are super spreaders and if people feel that Cuomo is being bias all the more reason to behave

  12. Those that agree with the government mixing in with religion are obviously ignorant to the beginning of nazi Germany! I agree everyone should wear masks to keep everyone safe but to allow a mayor or governor to shut down a religious shul or school is pure evil when they would not dare shut down a BLM protest!! How dare you agree with the current decree!!

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