By COLlive reporter
President Donald Trump announced that new Centers for Disease Control guidance will classify houses of worship as “essential” while speaking to the press on Friday.
He e called on governors to allow them to open “right now” after being closed during the coronavirus lockdowns.
Trump announced the policy for synagogues, as well as churches and mosques, during a short briefing at the White House.
“The governors need to do the right thing and allow these very important essential places of faith to open right now–for this weekend,” Trump said. “If they don’t do it, I will override the governors.”
“In America, we need more prayer not less,” Trump said. “I consider them essential,” referring to houses of worship of all faiths.
Orders issued this week in New York limited the crowd at houses of worship to 10 people. Trump did not detail the specifics of his demand to reopen.
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Does the president even have the authority to override governors on this matter?
it’s not clear what authority anybody has on these issues
at best its local executive order vs. a federal executive order and it will have to judicated in the courts
at any rate, NYC restrictions generally make sense especially for a place like Crown Heights which was hit very, very hard.
Trump is mostly aiming at other states that had cases in the 100s and are imposing quarantine regimes akin to NYC’s.
The article passed for NYS executive order gives the Governor the right to establish a 30 day state of emergency, with the option of extending another 30 days. That ended recently, so I’m not sure on what basis this banana head governor is continuing to think that he runs the world…
No, he has no such authority. He has other options. He can issue executive orders tha make life misersble for governors.
If that is the case new york had no right to force shutdown with tickets because it was also an executive order
3 months is too long for an executive branch order or undefined and changing terms.
The only question that matters is whether it’s SAFE. Can we crowd into shuls without risking lives? As soon as we can reopen safely we will do so.
Is it safe to go to prospect park or to the ice cream store?
If people are crowding more than 10 ppl in the ice cream store they shouldn’t be allowed either. Hold a minyan in prospect park, who’s stopping you.
He never said to do it not safely. If you can sanitize and spread out in wtores, you can do the same for houses of worship.
Also, since when are the crowds in Costco and Wal-Mart safe….?
The President could nationalize the New York National Guard??
It’s embarrassing that a goy (albeit a righteous one) is doing the pushing for us!
Well I do think it’s brave of him. But the fact that shuls are closed right now is not our fault. Doesn’t matter how much “pushing” is done. The Shuls are closed for legitimate reasons of safety.
A month ago that was true. Ch had not had a covid patient in 3 weeks. There are unfortunately a lot who still need a refua shleima, but those cases were before may 1. Shul closure is not a matter of safety, it’s a matter of us having to push
This President is a master of the Art of Distraction and running circles around the media. The Shuls and lehavdil the Churches and Mosques were opening anyway in many places around the country under specific guidelines. This will keep his political opponents busy bashing him for his words and decisions while he takes care of whatever business he doesn’t want them meddling in. Let’s hope it is for the better of the people.
Does not mean less prayer, it just means prayer at home. Let’s be safe and smart.
Why does a goy have to “give us permission ” to open up shuls when we can’t do it ourselves? Isn’t goyim suppose to be following yidden not vis versa? When yidden do what hashem wants goyim are in awe and follow. Why here the opposite? So sad. Faith is even more important then groceries and yet groceries are opened. I know I’ll be back lashed for this, so for all those – starve! Faith is more important then food – wake up!
You do know shuls are closed for legitimate reasons of safety, right? Let’s not be ignorant here.
Because he’s the president of the United States of America. He’s doing us a greatness and allowing us to have our Minyanim that may not have been approved till now. Why make issue?
Ok I’m not even going to start showing how your whole approach is wrong, but will comment just on your last line..
Very wrong view of life..if there isn’t food who can be alive to have Faith?
Torah and mitzvos.. vchai bahem, to live by them, not die by them.
Enough said.
FIRST you make a blessing and then you eat the food not vis versa. We need faith even more then food. You can have food but no faith?! all the rich people are unhappy, why? They have everything but no happiness. Faith comes first!
When states weren’t allowing blacks to attend schools the federal government sent in troops to make sure they comply. So yes states have states rights to make their own laws but it still has to be in the framework of the constitution, and religious freedom is a constitutional right!
The blue state governors would love to keep the states closed until November 4th and only reopen if Joe Biden wins
You’re amazing!! Perfect timing for Shavuos.
Cuomo is already letting shuls open with restrictions.
Is trump saying that it can open without restrictions?
That would be catastrophic. As we know shuls are one of the places where the viruses spread the fastest.
And even if our community would be careful even without restrictions because we were hit so hard. Community’s that weren’t wont be fearful enough.
Hence what is the president saying…?
The president is saying that since he deems house of worship essential it goes into the same category as Walmart Costco excetera where the amount of people allowed has to do with the size / square feet of the store which means that large shoals with the CDC guidelines should be allowed to have a lot more than 10 people maybe even a hundred depending on how large the shull is
It seems that we’re in a real catch 22 here. We can’t stay closed forever but we don’t know if and when there’ll be a vaccine. The question then is will it ever really be safe
He is so amazing. Mamish moshiach tzeitin!
The definition of essential in the face of a pandemic is a matter of nuanced Halacha vis a vis Safek Pikuach Nefesh and Hezek Rabbim. It is for POSKIM, informed by medicine. It is NOT for a president or prime minister et al.
PS. I’m from Australia, so this isn’t a Trump comment, per se.
You see unfortunately our economy in the U.S. is going down Hill because of this crises. & people are rely loosing their patience. My opinion is have some patience & wait. To open up shuls is very nice. But what if ChasV’esholom someone dose get sick in a short time??? I would think if we waited 3 months, we can wait another month. WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE PATIENT. we will come back to normal life. It may take a little time…..just my opinion. Be well & be safe.
if walmart , target and so many places can be open why cant shuls be open?? airplane flights are going on with everyone sitting next to each other with no masks and social distancing . all the parks have no social distancing. the liberal leftist are using the virus for dictatorship
halachic standard of pikuach nefesh is very high…it trumps everything even trump. every life is important. and we know that we are not a careful community. we hear 10 people allowed and we translate it as 50 give or take. as soon as we open up a bit more gimmel tammuz will happen and there will be no more boundaries…with disease brought in from everywhere. and that is the truth of our community in the best of times. there are still many people who have not had corona in our community. we need to protect them and move very slowly… Read more »