NEW YORK (VINnews) —A group of chareidi worshippers in the Ripponlea district of Melbourne clashed with police who came to enforce the strict local COVID-19 regulations. About 100 worshippers at the Adas Yisrael synagogue had gathered to celebrate Rosh Hashana in violation of regulations which require wearing masks and prohibit any large gatherings.
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Police elected not to enter the shul because there were many children present and waited outside for over 12 hours, intending to fine the worshippers as they exited. However another group of chareidim arrived to distract the police and at the same time a number of worshippers fled via windows or neighboring rooftops, according to Assistant Commissioner for the southern metro region Russell Barrett, who said that the congregants had exhibited “pretty appalling behaviour.”
In a related incident, a freelance cameraman has been hospitalised for a suspected concussion after allegedly being assaulted in the scuffle outside the Glen Eira Road building. The cameraman — who wishes not to be named — said a lot of the worshippers became “hostile and aggressive” towards the media when they emerged from the synagogue and asked them to stop filming. The cameraman said that he would pursue criminal charges.
Six of the congregants have already been issued with $5452 fines and police are working to identify others who were present.
Police say they’ve spoken to “a number” of people who attended the Glen Eira Road building, but they believe others who were present have not yet been spoken to by police. “All adults who attended will be issued a penalty,” police stressed.
A dozen men who escaped an illegal gathering at a synagogue by climbing onto neighbouring roofs to avoid fines are tonight wanted by police.
The worshippers left children behind as violence erupted outside the #Ripponlea prayer room. @LanaMurphy #9News pic.twitter.com/KT6K7x4Zrz
— 9News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) September 8, 2021
Local Jewish community leaders condemned the behavior of the Ripponlea congregants and stressed that Rosh Hashana should be celebrated in people’s homes in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions.
Journalist Daniel Cherny tweeted against the “embarrassing scenes tonight on the streets of East St Kilda and Ripponlea”, adding that “The delusion and self-entitlement of some members of the Jewish community is mind-boggling.”
However other commentators were critical of the response from authorities, saying the tactic of targeting the Jewish community on a holy night does not sit well with them.
“You couldn’t make it up. Dan Andrews (the Victorian premier) targets Orthodox Jews in Melbourne – sends Gestapo to surround synagogue and grab Covid-violating worshippers on Rosh Hashana. Yes, you read that right,” independent journalist Patrick Henningsen wrote.
When Jews identify others as Nazis routinely they are showing their ignorance. Nazis would have burned down the shul with the mispallelim inside. Consider this 5000 fine the cost for a seat.
noticed that many of the folks commenting on this article have no idea how authoritarian Australia has become. The situation is horrifying. 4 babies in Adelaide died because they could not receive life saving heart surgery in their state, and they were not allowed to cross state lines due to the lockdowns SO THE GOVERNMENT ALLOWED THEM TO DIE. Just a week ago Australian police shot and killed a group of puppies that were due for adoption because it would mean transporting them across state lines. Last week a man who was outside exercising without a mask (with a health exception) was bullied by police who did not believe him until he collapsed in cardiac arrest due to the mask. It’s about time somebody stood up to these monsters and good on these Jews for doing just that. And it’s not just Jews that are calling the Australian gov nazis. The Victorian government recently banned “nazi symbols” because non-Jews spray painted swastikas on a police station—calling them out for their disgusting overreach
$5452!? Should have been $5782
This is what fascism is. Australia is now basically a prison colony again.
dina d’malchusa dina,
and this ain’t no kidish haShem either….
I am so tired of lamenting the Chilulei Hashem that these jokers make. Why can’t they just obey the rules?? Dina D’malchusa Dina?? The police didn’t storm the Shul, they waited 12 HOURS to enforce the law – and these guys tried to scurry away. Doesn’t anyone care how this makes Judaism look???
Why do these people think that Chiliul Hashem doesn’t mean anything? Will davening like they did overcome the Chillul Hashem which they created? Of course not. All they hav to do was to wear masks and thereby avoided the Chilul Hashem
a few thoughts
can any frum person here see themselves putting up with these draconian measures for so long – i cant, i dont know if they have a choice .. but its horrible
gathering to daven illegally was done by all our ancestors through the ages , be it the, spain porutz, cozzaks, communist… it is thanks to their mesiras nefesh that we are frum today ,
we dont have the opportunity to suffer for a mitzva..
thru the torah lenses as yidden these jews in melbourne are heros ..nitzchius.. as the moshul reb akiva told the fox at the bank of the river. nothing less than oxygen
how one handles the press is questionable
i think a charidy campaign to pay the fines would send a strong message of support .. than again it could backfire and better hatznea leches
Everywhere we go the people love us because we are great caring neighbors!
If a antisemite says I did wrong does that make it a chillul Hashem? Absolutely not.
If the government will tell you not to eat kosher is not to keep Shabbos will you do so just not to cause a chillul Hashem?
And if you watched the TV station video you saw that all those that spewed antisemitism venom didn’t wear a mask.
Ruby is right. We should create a charidy campaign and pay their fines
We in NY refused to listen to Coumo ym”s who wanted to close all the yeshivas. Keeping them open was a huge kiddush Hashem Same goes for our brothers in Australia
Everyone has the right to freedom and religion. History repeats
In most of Australia (Melbourne, Sydney etc), there is no legal way to have a minyan. Even ten vaccinated people standing at a distance outdoors, wearing masks to daven is illegal.
When I see all these thumbs down for Jews gathering to pray I know exactly how the Nazis managed to do what they did. We have haters amongst ourselves.
Praying with a minyan is not a chillul Hashem, if is a kiddush Hashem.
First, to compare the current situation in Australia to Nazi Germany is absurd and also an insult to those that suffered under the nazis (I suggest that when you have a minute, you should make a list comparing the rules in the nazis era, as well as the implementation and enforcement of the rules by the Nazis and then compare it to the rules and enforcement in Australia.
Having said that, it is most very sad to see the current situation in Australia for the Jewish, and especially the Heimish community. This includes the lockdowns and travelling restictions. This is particularly so, as the whole world is already moving ahead and somewhat getting back to normalcy. This includes the USA, England, Israel, Western Europe, Canada etc…. It is obvious that it not any longer a health issue but rather a vanity issue for the Australian government to show the world that they had the best record in this mageifah.
As Trump would say, Sad !!
And to those who write that this is a chillum Hashem (and in capital letters, no less), it is obvious that as soon as you saw the clip with the people being Shtreimel wearers, immediately your swords came out. How unfortunate that this should be in these times of Teshuva…..
The New South Wales Government ,gave 15 mins to Gather outside for Prayer,no kidding . mind you no chanting, singing either .I’m born in Sydney and they have gone mad ! I wish you could see the list of crazy rules the Gov posted.
Wear masks and stop defying government rules . Nobody is above the law .
The year 5452 is 1691
…
1691
219 people are convicted of being Jewish in Palma, Majorca. 37 of them are burned to death. Among those martyred is Raphael and his sister Catalina Benito, who although declaring she wanted to live, jumped right into the flames rather than to be baptized.
What’s with those accents??
breaking the law is wrong, but what should they do? Not daven with minyan on one of the holiest days of the Jewish year? Why didn’t the government give alternative outdoor places? also, isn’t it unconstitutional for the government to ban religious prayers? I am highly positive that if George Washington was around he would’ve never allowed such a thing to take place. yes! Saving lives are important but is this really saving lives? why couldn’t the government give the Jews a large outdoor place to daven? With masks etc? also how long will we stay locked up, Forever? and even if it is saving lives…do u really believe the government cares about us? If someone tells you the government means our good they are delusional. just look up “operation Northwoods” that’s just one example… and now…about calling them “Nazis” this is overextragarrated and is totally wrong for two reasons. (1) your overextragarrating what they are doing even if its bad. (2) you are making what those evil Nazis did seem way less and “not that bad”… REMEMBER! THE NAZIS MURDERED MILLIONS OF INNOCENT JEWS FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN THEY ARE JEWS! NEVER SAY THE WORD “NAZI” AT SOMEONE WITHOUT HIM DOING SOMETHING SIMILLAR! THE NAZIS WERE THE WORST OF THE WORST! THEY WERE DISGUSTING CREATURES! THEY HAD NO HEART! NO COVID RESTRICTONS NO MATTER HOW EXTREME CAN BE ANYTHING SIMILAR TO WHAT THOSE GERMAN NAZI PIGS YEMACH SHEMOM, DID TO US!
P.s this is all my opinion it’s okay if u don’t agree. go ahead and voice your opinion #freedomofspeech
And of course there always has to be a non-religious liberal Jew with a big mouth, (many times from some “Jewish”organization), that dislikes/hates the frum, be interviewed on the news about how what they’re doing is wrong. This must help us out a lot. NOT!!!
THESE SHUL GOERS
THE PRAYERS IN THAT SHUL WERE FULL
BECAUSE THEIR PRAYERS CAN NOT REACH HA SHEM WHEN THEIR ACTIONS CAUSE A RISE IN JEW HATRED!!
THEY ARE DISGUSTING PEOPLE!
A CHEREM SHOULD BE PLACED ON THEM !
Wait till Deblasio tries it in NY after sep13 where he wants to ban anyone not vaccinated from entering restaurants and bakeries. There will be thousands of protesters just as last year on 13 ave chal hamoed
they should have been fined $5782. dina di malkhuta dina. any questions?
Do they not have vaccines in Europe? are you telling me that there arent 18 people in a bar somewhere all the time? its been a year and a half. Europe is not a place for Jews. period. 18 people with masks and distanced getting fined by European Gestapo anti Semites.
Jews around the world must Defy these orders. Enough already. This is essential for us and we can’t live like this
When it happens to them, we see how wrong it is
Why was it ok when they did it to us