Orthodox Jewish Officials: This Pesach, Stay Home

By COLlive reporter

Rabbinic leaders and organizations across the Orthodox spectrum have declared the health threat presented by COVID-19 a mortal threat (sakanas nefashos) and have released a statement urging all communities to stay home this Pesach.

The joint statement, urging all Jewish communities to comply with all health guidance issued by federal, state and local governments, is signed by Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Executive Vice President, Agudath Israel of America, Rabbi Mendy Mirocznick, Executive Vice-President, Igud HaRabbanim – Rabbinical Alliance of America, Rabbi Shmuel Blech, Chairman, Rabbi Moshe Zev Weisberg, Co-Chair, the Lakewood Vaad, Farley Weiss, President, National Council of Young Israel, Moishe Bane, President, Allen Fagin, Executive Vice President, the Orthodox Union and Rabbi Daniel Korobkin, President, and Rabbi Mark Dratch, Executive Vice President, Rabbinical Council of America.

They are urging communities to “remain at home and avoid, to the maximum extent feasible, any outside interactions.”

They have issued a set of “critical mandates” with regard to the upcoming Pesach holiday, shared in consultation with leading Infectious Disease and Public Health experts:

1. We are accustomed to honoring Pesach to the fullest degree, including taking haircuts, purchasing new clothing and tableware, and preparing the fullest menus. This year’s public health crisis mandates us to significantly limit all of the above. Our responsibility is to refrain from any NON-ESSENTIAL outside interactions, including especially in-store shopping.

If there is a need for truly ESSENTIAL purchases, send one family member only – who is neither ill, vulnerable, nor of known exposure to COVID-19 – as rarely and as briefly as possible. Stores serving the community should shift to home delivery or drive-by parking lot pick-up of pre-orders, and – to the extent this is not possible – must take substantive steps to minimize crowding, maintain hygiene, and maximize social distancing.

We will truly honor Pesach by limiting our purchases to the truly ESSENTIAL, ensuring that all of us – especially the vulnerable – are able to celebrate Pesach in good health.

We must STAY HOME; SAVE LIVES.

2. The Pesach plans of many have been completely upended. This creates severe difficulty for so many. We are deeply sympathetic to this enormous difficulty. Nevertheless, public health demands strict adherence to the current guidance. Travel to other cities must be cancelled, whether to vacation venues (Florida, etc.) or to family. Everyone must plan to celebrate Pesach where they are currently.

Individuals living alone or those absolutely unable to prepare for Pesach may choose to self-quarantine for 14 days, and then – if asymptomatic – may join with a welcoming local family that is similarly asymptomatic and that has been disciplined in staying home and limiting their interactions outside the home to the absolute minimum as described above.

These guests may join one family only for the duration, without additional company, and must carefully observe the mandated standards of scrupulous hygiene and social distancing. The elderly and high risk must seek medical advice before considering this.

The Rabbis also urged the public – while strictly maintaining the prescribed guidelines – to look out for each other by reaching out to and providing for each other, especially those living alone.

This letter follows an unprecedented public letter written by 35 Orthodox rabbis and 9 medical professionals in Florida demanding of New Yorkers and Jews of other states not to visit during Pesach in an effort to halt the spread of coronavirus in their communities.