Chareidi Approach To COVID-19 Changes: ‘After The Gerer Capsules Failed, People Gave Up’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Chareidi analyst and PR rep Berele Kromby offered an interesting explanation for the behavior of the Chareidi community in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19. Kromby told Arutz Sheva that during the first wave people in the Chareidi community didn’t follow regulations due to lack of knowledge (the government did not at first explain the need for such regulations), lack of comprehension and general contempt for governmental imperatives.

However by the second wave there was a dramatic improvement in conforming with regulations and “we reached the stage that entire communities were rigorously following all of the health regulations even more than they are meticulous about Kashrus.”

Kromby claims that the conduct of Gerer chasidim served as a model for the rest of the chasidic community. “I prayed frequently with Gerer chasidim and when one comes to the garden where they pray, if there is even a hint that one’s mask is not covering one’s nose they reprimand you. They stand distant from one another and do not converse.”

“Despite investing 7 million NIS in building a capsule framework, as well as building separate mikves for each capsule and placing large tents outdoors so people should not crowd the Beis Midrash on Rosh Hashana and providing plastic dividers between worshipers, there was still a huge outbreak in Ger just after Rosh Hashana, evidently because of what occurred there two weeks earlier. There are hundreds of sick patients and people have more or less given up.

“They see other chasidic groups like Belz as well as Toldos Aharon which celebrated huge events for Lag Ba’Omer and similar events. Despite warnings that there could be hundreds of dead people, it didn’t happen, thank G-d. People see this and say that with the density of population and living conditions in these communities the reality is stronger than any framework and it doesn’t matter whether we are careful or not, since in any case we will be infected.”

Kromby believes that the Chareidi public has consciously decided to act like British PM Boris Johnson and President Trump and reach herd immunity. “There’s a dramatic change as people protect the elderly and try to reach herd immunity. They did this in a number of yeshivos where the capsule framework collapsed and the yeshivos became coronavirus hotels. People got a little sick, something like flu and went on with life and now the yeshivos are immunized.”

Kromby dismissed the fear of repeat infections, stating that even in New York there is no such concern since “the World Health Organizations says that 70% were infected. This is why there are no masks at Trump’s election rallies and why it is prohibited to enter the White House with a mask.”

Kromby also feels that the consideration of Chillul Hashem has now been dismissed since “many Chareidim say that despite the fact that we maintained distance, wore masks and kept away from our families we were accused of spreading disease. If anyway we are being accused then we will the act the way we understand from now.”

However Kromby still feels that if the Admorim will be persuaded of the importance of maintaining regulatiosn, people will follow their lead but “its not so simple to persuade hundreds of Admorim.” However they are conscious of the issue of Chilul Hashem and if the state leadership will succeed in communicating with them things might change.”