LONDON (JTA) — Police shut down a backyard Jewish wedding in northern London with about 40 guests, hours after they were assured the event would include only people who live in the home.
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The father of the bride stepped down from his position on a local police council as a result of the incident, in which one person was fined.
Weddings in London are limited to 10 guests due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has made large gatherings unsafe and which has hit England’s Jewish community hard.
Police had first spoken to the homeowner in the Golders Green neighborhood, London’s Jewish hub, as the celebration was being set up and were told that only 10 people would attend — all people who live in the house, according to a report . But when they returned Wednesday evening they discovered a “lavish banquet” laid out on long tables and were offered a beer by guests, the Daily Mail reported on Friday.
A spokesman for England’s chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, emphasized that most London Jews are observing public health guidelines, and the event drew criticism from within London’s Jewish community.
“It’s a despicable thing for the Jewish community in general and the actions of a small number has given us all a bad name,” one person who was not named told the Daily Mail. “Judaism holds life in such high regard and I can’t understand why this has happened.”
Diary Of An OTD Girl@DiaryOtdGirlI have videos of the actual wedding ceremony before the police arrived. The Rabbi who officiated should be ashamed. And the person whose daughter it is knows better as he’s a liaison officer for the #frum community.
Diary Of An OTD Girl@DiaryOtdGirl
The father of the bride, Moishe Friedlander, had served as chairman of the Hackney Metropolitan Police Independent Advisory Group for last five years. He resigned because of the outcry over the wedding.
Everyone calm the heck down! Okay so yeh there were more than 10 people there. Its not such a big deal. Its a chasunah and were talking about 40 people. Every time u go grocery shopping u get exposed to A LOT more people than that and u all know it. Every one calm down. Its alright.
People hid why wasn’t he arrested for lying Jews are dying from this decease and he’s playing games
Chilul Hashem BIG TIME!
We should believe an OTD girl ? Vin you are pathetic in your hype and Loshon hara .
I’d like to see how you critics would feel if it were your chsana big talker.
I aM not justfying the action I simply saying that I get where they are coming from. I also agree with #1 to a point
Who cares what some lowlife otd says or thinks?
It is a chilul Hashem, great, more hatred towards Jews….What message didn’t the stupid parents get? I don’t understand why the father, who lied, wasn’t thrown in jail, for endangering the public.
we don’t listen to some stupid foolish otd girl. Everyone calm down its perfectly fine.
@Huge,
Dont listen to the law but at least you can do is listen to Rabbonim and the Torah halacha. Anyone who says its mot a big deal to risk peoples lives is obviously clueless about baltacha.
How many people think this rabbi cares more about his community than the plice and a otd rasha and how many people think the rashaim cares more about these people than there rabbi?
Maybe if the answer you picked seems strange or funny rethink
Chillul Hashem is the only aveirah in the Torah that you cannot atone for in your entire lifetime, even if you do true teshuva on Yom Kippur and even if you suffer great yissurim. Only death can atone for it, and only if you did true teshuva while you were alive. Here, the chillul Hashem is compounded because he not only violated widely known laws meant to save lives, but did so b’meizid and by intentionally lying to the police. A Chilul Hashem that becomes known to a vast non-Jewish population and causes great anti-semitism is that much greater of an aveirah. Now, if chas v’shalom one of the attendants had Covid-19 and will cause illness or death R”l to others, he will have that incomparable sin on his plate as well. And if he causes other frum people in his community to act similarly because he was poreitz geder, he will be partially accountable for those results as well. Does that answer the question, “What’s the big deal?”
What outrages me is that Uneducated Archy and the HUGE fool don’t see that this is a chilul Hashem. To bold face lie to the police department is just terrible. Are you wondering why there is antisemitism, it is because of people like this! It is outright Gaavah of this bunch who think that the law does not apply to them. The wedding could have been postponed a month or two, till the restrictions were lifted. When the Yomim Naoroim come around, boy will they be busy with asking Mechilla.
All the neighbors in the street thought it was great, real action in the street. The smart yidden were able to make complete fools of the Met. Great!
What I would like to know is who carefully took the high-quality pictures and videos, only some of which are shown here, and sent them around to the press and the websites? One of the invited “family” obviously didn’t think everything was kosher.
I think we don’t have all the facts here for this story. The police “found” a yeshiva in Monsey that they claim was open and had some students attending. I heard it on WCBS880 and I thought what were they thinking? Later, it came out that it was only that a father had his kids in his car in the parking lot and was picking up from the Lunch Program and there was maybe another car there too. Nobody makes a stink when it is a public school but somehow always jumps on Jews for being in the wrong. It is all about perception and facts.
I think that those who believe that not listening to common sense in this Pandemic will only get to their senses when they themselves get Covid 19 and die or close family get sick and die thanks to the necessity of making these type of weddings, minyanim, Brissin and levayos. Do they want more big levayos for their lives. I think they’re dumb, stupid and murderers. Stop this nonsense and use your brains. Hashem gave you brains so use it.
We all try to plan our children’s Chasunahs to be Be-Sha-ah Tovah Umutzlacahs; can you imagine R’L if the wedding causes death by virtue of Corona transmission or another pogrom because of the Chillul Hashem generated. Wouldn’t wish that kind of start for any Yiddish family. Wonder what kind of divine punishment will permeate such a home.
Based on some of these posts it appears that two possibilities here. Hashem will help you if you jump off the tall building and you’ll survive or playing Russian Roulette. Remember, taking chances is like usering the Hatzalah from driving to and from emergencies. Why? Take the same chances on Shabbos without cause weddings need to be more important so why Chillul Shabbos to save life. Make a wedding with even 40 people because it’s more important than life or health? Bad excuse to risk life plus do the people you may in fact infect give you permission to risk their lives.
No issue of perception here. The tables were lavishly laden as behooves the modern bride and groom ready for the seuda. The Police were lied to. The chassene was a forbidden activity, both in halacha and dina d’malchusa dina. There is no dan l’kaf zechus here. Rodfim don’t have zechusim. I understand that this smart alec wanted his daughter’s wedding to go ahead. He probably thought that his relationship with the Police in North London would have helped him out. They should have got married with two edim and made the party in six months with 800 guests.
Huge: go away, take out a cigarette, blow rings around the fools who still think smoking is dangerous, then have a generous few scotches to calm yourself down. A decent numbered bottle single malt of course, befitting the stupid arrogant idiot you are. Don’t worry there isn’t that much alcohol in two double scotches, so drive your fancy car to the local minyan, double park, run out before the end of davening as you have a terribly important call to take on your unfiltered smartphone, then go flirt with one of your neighbor’s wives. There don’t you feel better and important now? IGNORE the tzaddikim who look down on you. You are not at fault, for as you say, WE DONT CONTROL ANYTHING, ITS ALL FROM THE ONE UP ABOVE.
Are people nervous about chillel Hashem or are they nervous about being looked at as part of a uneducated grouped?
Is this out cry for Hashem or yourself?
The OTD and tuna bagels are the problem. They smoke and kill their lungs thus picking up corona.
Why don’t they scream as their buddy’s shoot up with drugs and drink like pigs. They are the real problem.
Hey guys, can you all calm down?!
I know this guy personally he has always helped yidden
sheloi al menas lekabel pras, he’s a true tzadik I personally know a whole bunch of stories where he stepped in to save countless families and ppl that got entangled with the law
he introduces every police officer that gets a position in the frum area to all local organisations
and to all important aspects to jewish life.
he is a frum yid that has a posek and that was what he was told to do
are we going to attack him on the basis of listening to a posek?!
#thankyoumoishy
Calm down? Its “just” chillul hashem and potential murder. What’s the big deal? Check the aseres hadibros for lo sirtzach and the pasuk lo sichslelu shem kadshi (and Leo’s comment) Whover says “calm down its no big deal” is either an apikorus or tinok shenishba, but is not in klal of amisecha. Mitzva of dan lkaf zechus does not justify denying 2 mitzvos of the Torah. That’s called mumar ledavar echad. (In this case 2 mitzvos). Its called a calm apikorus.
In my humble opinion: none of you babies is making a Kiddush Hashem on this commenting board. Take a deep breath! We (I for sure) werent there!!!! Maybe it happened as reported, maybe not. Didn’t Reb Chaim and many others make a strong connection between shmiras halashon and what’s going on? Take a look deep inside yourselves and start your righteousness and judgement there first. When you’re all done (a lifetime of work for all) then look around …we all heard enough times to keep social distance, noone is going to change his actions because of your negative comments. דרכיה דרכי נועם
This guy Huge seems to be the Host of this party with all his friendly comments and retorts.
Anyway Mazel Tov.
If he followed his Rov – then is a KIDDUSH HASHEM not a chilul HaShem.
If he was connected (protektzia) – – then is a KIDDUSH HASHEM not a chilul HaShem.
If it was A chasineh – then is a KIDDUSH HASHEM not a chilul HaShem.
If he has money – then is a KIDDUSH HASHEM not a chilul HaShem.
If he proposed meal for 10 but set up for 40 – then is a KIDDUSH HASHEM not a chilul HaShem.
If he then says they all from one family living together – then is a KIDDUSH HASHEM not a chilul HaShem.
If he has HUGE defending him – then is a HUGE KIDDUSH HASHEM not a chilul HaShem.
End of the day the point is that everyone should listen to their rav/posek who they usually follow – and do whatever they say. Everyone has to be positive and respectful of others. Everyone should be DAN LEKAF ZECHUS and lets try to UNITE as one nation all togather.
@huge Huge is just one big bluffer. There is no inyan to be dan l’kav zechus to a rodef who commits chillul Hashem. There is no bright and good side here, except for the founding of a new bayis ne’eman in Yisroel. However that could have been done without the chillul Hashem. The couple could have got married with just their parents and grandparents present with a Mesader Kiddushin and two eidem. All of those people could then have taken part in a tznua, short seuda. The parents could then have made a “chassene seuda” in the future. That would have been a kiddush Hashem. Instead they chose to lie to the Police on camera, proof of what the goyim know all Jews do, endanger public health and generally show the world that the Jews are the Chosen People who can do whatever they like.
Huge:
1. Can you answer questions without calling names or insulting people?
2. Does being dan l’kaf zechus outweigh chillul hashem and safek retzichah? (Yes/no)
3. Have you learned about the 6th of the aseres hadibros and mitzvah of not making a chillul hashem? (Yes/no)
4. How is the corona virus spread? Answer: Person to person with saliva droplets
5. Is social distancing is (a) a power struggle between authorities and civilians or (b) a method of saving lives?
6. Are you aware that this disease kills and that people are dying? (Yes/no)
I hope you and yours are still healthy and alive.
Answer sheet:
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