With Lakewood and Ocean County as a whole experiencing a spike in coronavirus cases, some shuls are beginning to seriously enforce social distancing, mask-wearing, and other preventative measures to mitigate the spread of the virus. Beyond hanging signs ordering shul attendees to abide by guidelines provided by the state, some shuls are enforcing their own rules, as they worry that a persistent rise in cases could get them shut down once again.
The gabbai of one shul told TLS that his shul will begin enforcing their own rules and regulations, in addition to those already ordered by the state. Included in those are limiting the maximum number of people allowed in the building at one time, and forbidding anyone who may have come into contact with an infected patient from entering.
With Yom Kippur arriving on Monday, shuls are preparing for a larger number of congregants than usual, with some placing plastic guards between seats and limiting attendees to those with assigned seats, all of which are a minimum of six feet from each other.
The new measures are being implemented as shuls in certain sections of New York City are on the verge of being forcibly closed by the city’s Health Department. The NYC Department of Health has threatened to place new restrictions on several areas of the city in which clusters of new Covid-19 cases are cropping up. They have already shut down Darchei Torah and Torah Academy for Girls in Far Rockaway, and many fear more closures are coming.
“We don’t want what’s happening in New York to happen here,” a shul president who requested anonymity said. “We must, and we will, take the precautions necessary to avoid another major shutdown. That would be nothing short of a calamity.”
Why can’t everyone eear a mask in shull even if ur convinced that it doesn’t help. Why do we have to be different than the whole world it it is causing such huge chilul hashem.
It is time for הסתר פנים…
It is Osur to be מגלה פנים שלא כהלכה
Precautions to avoid z shutdown????
Precautions to SAVE LIVES !!
Priorities mixed up
We were clearly told by our Frum Medical Health providers that if we don’t wear masks and keep social distancing, many more people in our community will get infected and possibly die. Wearing masks may save your lives, or the lives of your parents, grandparents or your neighbors. Everyone should wear a mask including the Rabbis of the Shuls to set an example. פיקוח נפש
All you read about in the news is about Churches and Shuls getting busted, even outdoors without masks. Mosques? Crickets.
Yes, indeed, why would that be?
Hmmm…
Maybe…..
Because EVERYONE ELSE WEARS MASKS?!
Put masks back on there communities that haven’t stopped since it started in shul
If someone shows me one study-just one- that show that masks help than I’ll wear one. Otherwise, have a nice day, all you brainwashed masses.
Hope that was a joke or that he meant show me just one study that masks are NOT effective.
Otherwise it’s inconceivable that someone who could post a comment on TLS isn’t capable to look into studies himself..
CPA
Apparently you cant show any such study. Israel has huge mask compliance and their health system is in total chaos. Masks do not stop covid. The only thing that can stop it is by everyone person locking themselves into their homes for weeks without stepping out once. And that aint happening. So start learning to live with it
Do you have any idea how to analyze a study? I have published more than 70 studies in these comments over the past month that prove it. You’re a disingenuous liar.
Do it because you want to save lives not because of you may be shut down!
“We don’t want the cluster of cases thats happening in NY To happen here C”V an anonymous shul president said”
Then why don’t we all take the shocking wake up message directly from Hashem to stop this terrible coronavirus apedemic mageifa from so many thousands of yidden and people worldwide dying? Do you think this is all coincidence? How much longer will it take us to stop living in denial and face reality and admit to Hashem that Hashem is right and is waiting for all of klal yisroel to come together as a nation ASAP for serious teshuva and achdus?
May we all wake up to reality ASAP TOGETHER so this terrible coronavirus apedemic mageifa can end and Mashiach can come already bkarov
What’s with all the “frum doctor” comments ?
Can someone explain the insinuation?
Learn Hilchos Chilull Hashem. Not everything is a chilull hashem in the real definition of the word. Is it a chillul hashem to do Kaparos becuase Peta activists are screaming at you that you are torturing chickens? Absolutely not.
You can’t just throw the term around. It means showing the world a lack of commitment to Hashem by not following the torah. For example eating in mcdonalds would be a chillul hashem.
Review your Hilchos Rambam please. Chilul Hashem has a much broader definition, especially for Bnei Torah.
Wearing a mask to show you care isn’t the same as stopping Kapparos…
I work in a special needs school in Lakewood. Some of our students were sent to the pediatrician for acting under the weather. The pediatricians are just sending them back to school without testing and saying everything is fine. Many staff members are concerned about their health, whereas this time around some pediatricians seem lax about it.
Why are you so convinced the doctors are wrong?
Particularly if more than one doctor saying it
Put this on all the supermarkets and make announcements over the PA system every 10 minutes. After seeing what’s going on, my Doctor says, “You want to shop there? I give you a couple of months. Don’t shop there and you have a chance at 120, IYH.” The book is open and the pen is ready.
Wow! We are going to do exactly what we did last time.
We did absolutely NOTHING to mitigate the spread when it could have helped. Now, when its too late, we will be very serious about enforcing rules. The only difference between last time and this time is that we knew exactly what was coming our way this time. But we chose to ignore it because we can’t be bothered to do the simple mitigation actions that the rest of the world is doing. The same guy who will unquestionably wear a mask in Walmart will not be caught dead in a mask while shopping in one of our local supermarkets.
Put on masks whenever in indoor locations for the next 2 weeks or else we won’t be able to reopen our mosdos after Sukkos! This is not a game! Just because you believe yourself to be immune does not mean the guy next to you is, and you may be a carrier! Wear a mask!
So we have to wait till we are threatened by the government to shut us down to start caring about others?? Is this what klal yisroel is about? Shouldn’t we have good midos without waiting for the law to demand it from us? It has been proven medically that masks and distancing cause the virus to be more mild. No one ever said it stops transmission completely but our frum doctors have been yelling this from the rooftops. Yet hardly anyone listens. But then when we are threatened with shut downs which is a massive chillul Hashem, even if goyishe places are being shut down too, we listen. Is that what being a yid is all about? We only do what’s right if the government forces us to but not if it might prevent another yid from becoming very sick or worse chas v’shalom? When did our midos and mentchlichkeit deteriorate like this? Are we so selfish and care so much about our own comfort that we can’t care about someone else sitting near us in shul who may get sick because we were too spoiled to wear a mask??? Why is Lakewood now known as the city where anything goes? We are the ihr hatorah but an ihr hatorah needs to have derech eretz too and this is sadly missing from many in this town. Wearing a mask is a sign that you care about other people so that you do not cause them to get very sick and that you are willing to be uncomfortable to make that happen This all comes from the Ribono Shel Olam, perhaps if we show Him we care about His children, He will remove this machla. I don’t claim to know His message but I do wonder if it brings Him nachas when He sees that we are now one of the only places not doing too much hishtadlus to stem this virus……
Why on earth am I still the only one in shul with a mask? Why has it become nerdy to wear a mask? As our frum ehrliche doctors have told us, this can save lives!
To anyone who trusts doctors over the “oilem” but is to embarrassed to come to shul with a mask due to peer pressure, please keep the following in mind. Doing the ratzon Hashem is infinitely more important that bowing to peer pressure, as uncomfortable as that may be. You’ll be a lot more comfortable in the next world!
If you are the only one in your shul wearing a mask, go daven somewhere else. Masks protect others from you and not the other way around.
So if no one around you is wearing a mask, you are putting yourself at risk.
Unfortunately people don’t understand this point.
Being in a room with unmasked people puts YOU at risk. If you are wearing a mask yourself you might get some protection (especially if you are wearing a properly fitted N95 or KN95), but to afford protection for everyone, everyone must wear a mask.
why don’t they reinforce masks in Schuls? Also people eating inside in pizza stores. Are they looking for IT?
Everyone should be allowed to do what they want. The government is taking more and more power. If we don’t protest now we will wake up to a very different America