Anonymous
It could have been a lovely sight. 10 people gathered together for a Shabbos day Farbrengen. Sheves Achim Gam Yachad. L’chaims and farbeisen. Someone (slightly inebriated) ranting about some useful, constructive and inspiring dvar torah or chasidishe ma’aseh.
It could have been a lovely sight, if not for Covid-19.
It happened this past Shabbos, on a porch in Crown Heights, but without any masks or gloves. Perhaps they considered their activity constituted a chassidishe farbrengen and which they considered more important and more powerful than anything else – including this virus.
I walked on in shock and questions flooded my thoughts: How was that not Tovel V’Sheretz, B’yodoh? Why is that not Mitzva Habo B’Aveira? Was that the creation of someone’s death or illness sentencing?
After the disproportionate amount of deaths and gravely ill folks in the community, after rabbis unanimously decreed to not attend close-quartered anything, after local medical groups consistently post (here on COLlive) the extreme necessary vigilance about not congregating, after displays of flagrant governmental violations publicized and causing chilul hashem… ?!?
I tried to talk myself back down. Maybe it was just a nuclear family. Nope. I knew the people on the porch were of different families. Maybe all knew each had the virus and antibodies. Maybe all knew none were going home to anyone who didn’t have it yet and at risk.
That still didn’t quiet my mind. Firstly: Public display? You want to violate distancing rules – do it in the privacy of your home. Don’t thumb your nose at everyone else. (Halacha dislikes causing other people to think you did something wrong). Secondly, if they somehow felt they weren’t violating the rules, they seemed wrong: There’s no disclaimer in any of the social distancing rules – be either rabbinical or social or medical or governmental agencies – that allows for exceptions to mask-wearing when in close proximity to anyone other than the people you’ve lived with through this ongoing public health crisis and other than inside your home.
So, absent any public explanation from a participant of that public exhibition, I’m left with the assumption that they somehow considered what they were doing not to be violating anything and worthy of full public consumption.
How and why that is, I’m flummoxed, but I don’t know everything and I’m not the police or their judge. I am, however, VERY curious, as to their reasoning.
So, why didn’t I just go ask them? I was in shock. I was intimidated by the brazenness. I don’t have enough Pinchus in me. So, I’ll do the remote learning way, and post here and hopefully they will see this and can and will explain.
Good health to all.
It’s time for everyone to chill out. 75 percent of our community has gotten it and has antibodies, this continued lockdown isn’t helping anyone. It’s probably causing more damage than good. So enjoy your porch farbrengen!!!!
And ignore the official guidelines of the drs/rabonim and government.
Really?
I guess ignorance is bliss.
they arent ignorant. you cant live under a rock for two months
Firstly, that’s not true at all, the real stats are not even close to 75%. Secondly, even assuming that number is true, are 25% more dead people worth it so that you can have your fun?
Ditto to that
You’ll see, this ‘virus’ will turn out to be the biggest power grab this country has ever known. Look at people in CH lining up to vilify one another – and where were you in 2017 when the U.S. had just as many fatalities? This post would be humorous if it weren’t so sickening. What so-called “facts” are you believing? I weep for this country.
Dr fauci clearly said that there is no reason to assume that this virus is different then any other virus (which you become immune to after having it once) Ayy there were as handful of cases in a Korea that seen to have got it again, first is very possible that that is just sheedin of dead virus cells. 2nd even if it is a real positive, the risk is so low (about 10 cases out of the millions who recoverd) that driving yourself crazy (the flue is much now likely to have you then a 2nd cases of covid… Read more »
the Rebbe wants us to love and spiritual. Chabad means Chachma Bina Daat: love peace and understanding.
But Chochmah and Daas don’t mean love and peace.
true spirituality (aka chochmah and daat and bina) can only be acquired through ahvat yisrael.
But Chochmah and Daas still don’t MEAN that. It’s true the Rebbe wants us to have love and peace, but that’s not what the word Chabad stands for.
So sure, Dan L’Kaf Zchus, but don’t blame it on our name.
The famous Woodstock concert, with over 400,000 attending, took place during a global pandemic. Nearly 100,000 deaths in America. 1 million globally.. None recorded from Woodstock
It was during the Hong Kong flu of ’68-’69… That concert is celebrated as beautiful and iconic till this day.. Doctor’s showed up’ just in case’..
And no mention of the virus hampering the festivities at all..
And then also, seniors were most of the victims..
Iconic, certainly, but it is hardly celebrated as beautiful. It’s famous for having turned into a complete disaster.
BTW I know one of the few people — perhaps the only person — who was there AND remembers it. They say if you remember it you weren’t there, but he did not take any drugs so he remembers the whole thing.
Anonymous is looking for responses. Here’s one, you know why you don’t say something, because deep down you know how wrong you are for judging your fellows with the evil eye. This is a free country and we should all choose life.
If you have been following the gedalia letters, you will see that crown heights has something called herd immunity, and if that is true, then our schools and shuls should be open, but to respect the law, everybody is afraid to say something. The fact that the rabbis have not allowed minyunim in peoples houses that don’t have elderly IMO is a cowardly act, and they are not looking for what is right, just to follow public option, and what they think people want to hear , we are scared and afraid and rightly so, but as for crown heights… Read more »
The Gedalyah society letters actually say that they do not know if we have herd immunity yet. Maybe you need to read it a little more carefully.
I love how every collive commenter suddenly becomes an expert on herd immunity.
I love how some collive commenters believe they are the only rational commenter
I agree with everything written here. I don’t understand how people walk around with out masks and still gather with their friends in public. My children are not in school but her friends are walking in a group to the ice cream store. I need to go back to work and I need my children in school. I had the virus like many in our neighborhood but wearing a mask outside is not just following the rules but showing the world respect.
It’s time people start using their own brains and comments sense, the gedalia society has a much better idea of what’s going on in our community then any clown in city hall, or Albany (yes, the “experts” who were supposed to have saved us). And if you follow the graphs and updates it’s pretty clear that ch is holding at herd immunity. The virus came quick,effected most of us, sadly took a huge toll, but together with that there is herd immunity. Its time to start using our on brains, follow dr Rosen, and real experts without a political aganda.… Read more »
There are many elders who did not catch it yet, and if they do, they might die.
Does that matter anything to you?
Crown heights is over the hump. We have herd immunity. If it were up to the Gedaliah society we’d be back in school and at work,going to shul, celebrating simchas and farbrenging together (with some safeguards in place to protect the small fraction of people who have not yet contracted the virus). The only reason we are still shut down is because of the state and city orders which are not relevant to the cluster epidemic that we experienced. Why does it bother you that people gathered? They are most likely all immune. We have to stop being so afraid… Read more »
“With some safeguards to protect the small fraction of people who have not yet contracted the virus”
Stop fooling yourself! There’s no “safeguard” that will protect the vulnerable if you are still gathering at Simchas, farbrengens, shul, school etc. The only known safeguard is to NOT GATHER at your simchas farbrengens an shul etc.
That fraction of people in our community might DIE because of your “Simcha with some safeguards”.
How big does the fraction have to be for their lives to be worth to you?
Enough with this nonsense.
Do what you want, and i do what i want.
Its my choice to leave my home knowing the “risks”, if you feel unsafe, stay home.
SAME WITH A MASK.
Look around at the streets. Why are you so shocked? Everyone is jumping out of their skin, ready for normalicy.
From what I understand the reason I should wear a suffocating atrocious mask in public is to show respect to others. Hmmm
And what if you are asymptomatic (because we don’t know who is or isn’t) and you carelessly infected someone because you are a know it all who won’t wear a mask? So yes respect man!
No, the reason you should wear a mask is to protect other people! The mask isn’t for you; it’s for someone you might infect without ever knowing it!
Not wearing a mask is a statement to my mother and my elderly uncle and my senior friends that you don’t care if they get sick1
We’re way past that… and mental health is also a thing
I love how everyone casually decides to look over those who this virus is damaging mentally. Yes, being at home for 2 months is proven to affect your mental health. It’s time we stop being stricter then the doctors and professionals, it’s time we stop blaming people who were on a individual porch keeping to themselves!
Put on a mask.
Stay 6 feet away from everyone.
And go wherever you want – WHILE social distancing.
Don’t GATHER and FARBRENG!
Don’t ask a question ur not gonna want to hear the answer for
Some people are sick of living in fear, if you’re still scared, then go hide in your basement until the government tells you to come out
The facts don’t get tired of being facts, even if you are tired of the facts.
The Rebbe says to listen to the community Rabbonim. None of your reasons hold any weight in the face of that.
I spoke to a respectful rabbi in crown heights , and he said if only our rabbis were around during the communist times, and said to close shuls, yeshivas and mikvahs it would have saved 10,000 life’s of chassidim.
Yashar koach rabbi Bruin for your foresight and wisdom !
The rabbanim said that people could make porch minyanim.
Porch minyanim means with each person on his own porch and within sight of each other and I believe I saw that they have to be on one side of the street. It does not mean 10 people on one porch.
you have not learned how to read yet….only a word or 2 in the headlines and then the rest of the article is lost on you. i suggest you ask someone to read you the whole article so you don’t look like a complete fool again…
But when it comes to health the rebbe said to ask a doctor and follow professionals. Last I checked Covid 19 is very much a health related issue 😉
If you really cared you wouldn’t be out bichlal
Next time you walk down the street, please place a mask over your eyes!!!
I had heard the same thing and reached out to a scientist. The answer I received was that this virus is more contagious and way more deadly than the Hong Kong flu.
In case you don’t like this answer, here’s the one from Snopes:
The 1968 pandemic does not compare to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of lethality. Also, Woodstock did not take place during one of the Pandemic’s seasonal peaks, but in the summer of 1969 when there was practically no reported H3N2 flu activity in the United States.
Kindly to your research before posting inaccurate information.
There is no way of knowing how deadly COVID-19 is because most of the people who got it did not get tested, therefore the numbers will paint a much darker picture than the reality, when in actuality, the number of people who got it is actually much much higher, and therefore the death toll is much lower.
Conclusion: doctors don’t know more than anyone else when it comes to COVID-19. They just use their brains which everyone else can do too. But unfortunately choose not to.
Some of the distorted comments on this thread shock me. No, we have not been found to have herd immunity, that is pure speculation. No, we are not over the worst of it and No, 75% of Crown Heighters have not had corona virus. That is a made up statistic. We need to be smart and safe with the reopening of Schools and Shules. The fact that porch minyanim continue and Farbrengens of this kind are happening in our community shock me. People have died and continue to get sick. It is a time to be overly cautious and not… Read more »
Hey buddy, if you’re so confident in what you’re saying, why are you hiding behind anonymous? If you think you’re so right, why should you be afraid of any backlash?
My nuclear family did not have it tried and tested no symptoms no antibodies and I’m sure we’re not the only ones like that due to siyata dishmaya and following the (supposedly made up?) Rules we stayed home and only went out with masks and gloves so where does that leave us in the supposed “herd immunity” ? Have some respect for other people and mostly for all the hard work and risk taking of all our dear hatzoloh members that put themselves in the line of fire Stay home if you can’t bring yourself to wear a mask in… Read more »
As you didn’t have the guts to up and ask them why, then dont complain. They may have answered you and you’d sleep better. They were outside, which is way safer than gathering indoors, as you suggested. It didnt have to do with public display. On the other hand, since its on the porch, they werent on public territory. Unfortunately, governments have messed up in the beginning, and still give contrasting reports. No one wants to take responsibility. But it doesnt mean that is the reality. If you feel at risk or afraid, you should wear a mask and sit… Read more »
Bh I have been fortunate that no one in my family has had the virus and I would like to keep it that way. I have heard so many people, family friends neighbors who say “we’ve all had it, let’s move on” well, BH my family and all my little children have not, and with the new data coming out about children having complications and dying, not to mention having to go thru a horrible virus while taking care of kids, it’s not something I want to go thru. So please respect those who have been taking the proper precautions… Read more »
No one in my family has had it yet either….and we have some in every age group….who is someone to come along and say that our lives don’t matter because they want to do as they please and are immune!!! goes against Torah in the worst way
Maybe we all need a little more Ahavas Yisrael.
Less judgement, more love.
Less arrogance, more humility.
Less finger pointing and more inner work.
Please, for heavens sake, let’s stop judging.
Lets give the benefit of the doubt.
Moshiach Now. Geula Now. It starts in our hearts.
Everyone is quoting gedaliah society and dr Rosen.
Please read it again carefully.
https://collive.com/coronavirus-update-for-crown-heights-28-survey-results/
If ur so in to this social distancing then why in the world are u out of ur house talking a stroll on shobbos even if ur wearing a mask !
U are only supposed to leave ur home for ESSENTIALS
For those who pay close attention to directives issued by entities considered an authority, and are thoughtful before acting, there seems two camps – 1. The haves: Those who have had it or think they’ve had it and everyone in their close circle have had it or think they’ve had it. 2. The have nots: Those who think they haven’t gotten it or are close to someone who they think hasn’t gotten it, including especially physically weaker or health-compromised people. Many Haves are losing patience and don’t see physical reminders of the continued dangerous potential and are therefore willing to… Read more »
How can you write a post focusing on those who are transgressing the laws of social distancing that our beloved Rabbanim and government has ordained. Why not be of benefit to society instead of displaying a lack of Ahavas Yisroel. The Rebbe would not be happy about this. You know, we have so many chassanim and kallos in great pain over their devestated and ravised weddings. And guess what, the wealthy of our community haven’t lifted a finger. I davened to Hashem, I begged our Rabbanim, I’ve pleaded with Devora Benjamin, nothing has helped. ITs time for COllive to take… Read more »