JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In the wake of restrictions on the number of worshipers in synagogues in Israel, Israeli Chief Rabbi David Lau petitioned Prime Minister Netanyahu to allow synagogues to be used in accordance with their size and not to be restricted to 20 worshipers as per the present regulations. Rabbi Lau pointed out that the government had allowed restaurants and hotels to fill up in accordance with their size and there was no reason to make an exception with regard to synagogues since “the arbitrary decision regarding the number of worshipers in all types of synagogues is not right for every place.”
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Rabbi Lau added that “we are coming closer to the days of Selichos in the month of Elul, when large parts of the public visit the synagogues and for this reason it is necessary to modify the regulations and to coordinate restriction of numbers according to the size of the synagogues.”
Rabbi Lau added that “from what I see and know, the members of the community who attend synagogues are very strict on maintaining the regulations. It should also be noted that only a small proportion of those infected were in these places.”
What is the logic to say that a basement shtibel can have 19 even if it only occupies 30 people , while a huge shul like belz or ger that can hold 5,000+ people can also only have 19? That’s kind of odd