18 mar 2020
Opinion: The insistence on keeping the ultra-Orthodox education institutions open it a time where gatherings are strictly prohibited is sacrilege that contradicts the basic Talmudic principle of saving a life above everything else
The Jewish mind loves to read every sentence four times, to dig for meaning deep underground, too bad viruses can’t learn Talmud.
A virus doesn’t act according to any Talmudic law. On the contrary, a virus just spreads, a fact that makes the indifference of the religious and ultra-Orthodox population to the virus all the more vexing and worrying.
While Israel’s students are in quarantine, yeshiva students continue to study in large groups; while the streets are supposed to be empty of people, the streets of Bnei Brak are buzzing with people as if everything were normal.
The insistence on keeping the ultra-Orthodox education institutions open at a time like this is pure anarchism.
The main principle driving these students to continue to study is their resolve to not “cancel the Torah”, an undoubtedly important Talmudic principle, which as of right now contradicts two even more important Talmudic principles, “do not commit sacrilege” and “save a life.”
There is a very real danger that packed crowds could cause an outbreak that will end in disaster. Furthermore any protection from the virus’ spread is based on mutual responsibility towards one another, where the majority gets together to help protect the few.
When a group takes itself out of the equation, for the sake of God, all they do is give a bad name to the Torah and the commandments. It is up to Health Minister Yaakov Litzman to use his connections in the ultra-Orthodox sector in order to stop any gatherings and not to cut corners.
We need leadership, we need leaders to use their entire political weight and gravitas to make the most influential rabbis see the severity of the situation, and they in turn could influence dozens of people in their community.
There are also other problems in other areas, for we will soon bear witness to how many people contracted the virus at Purim readings and parties.
We can already see that some coronavirus cases visited synagogues, and women and men both breaking quarantine to bathe in the mikveh - turning a place of spiritual purity into a site of death and disease.
For me, like many others, a locked synagogue is an unpleasant image. Yes, it is hard both spiritually and mentally, but these are unusual times that requires us to to take unusual steps.
This is the time for rabbis of all streams of Judaism to take control and stop any gatherings. Consult with the professionals, don’t act wise, don’t pray, just save lives.
The Jewish mind loves to read every sentence four times, to dig for meaning deep underground, too bad viruses can’t learn Talmud.
A virus doesn’t act according to any Talmudic law. On the contrary, a virus just spreads, a fact that makes the indifference of the religious and ultra-Orthodox population to the virus all the more vexing and worrying.
While Israel’s students are in quarantine, yeshiva students continue to study in large groups; while the streets are supposed to be empty of people, the streets of Bnei Brak are buzzing with people as if everything were normal.
The insistence on keeping the ultra-Orthodox education institutions open at a time like this is pure anarchism.
The main principle driving these students to continue to study is their resolve to not “cancel the Torah”, an undoubtedly important Talmudic principle, which as of right now contradicts two even more important Talmudic principles, “do not commit sacrilege” and “save a life.”
There is a very real danger that packed crowds could cause an outbreak that will end in disaster. Furthermore any protection from the virus’ spread is based on mutual responsibility towards one another, where the majority gets together to help protect the few.
When a group takes itself out of the equation, for the sake of God, all they do is give a bad name to the Torah and the commandments. It is up to Health Minister Yaakov Litzman to use his connections in the ultra-Orthodox sector in order to stop any gatherings and not to cut corners.
We need leadership, we need leaders to use their entire political weight and gravitas to make the most influential rabbis see the severity of the situation, and they in turn could influence dozens of people in their community.
There are also other problems in other areas, for we will soon bear witness to how many people contracted the virus at Purim readings and parties.
We can already see that some coronavirus cases visited synagogues, and women and men both breaking quarantine to bathe in the mikveh - turning a place of spiritual purity into a site of death and disease.
For me, like many others, a locked synagogue is an unpleasant image. Yes, it is hard both spiritually and mentally, but these are unusual times that requires us to to take unusual steps.
This is the time for rabbis of all streams of Judaism to take control and stop any gatherings. Consult with the professionals, don’t act wise, don’t pray, just save lives.
Public Security Ministry says compulsory closures enforced by police could soon be imposed across the country; new measures include special regulations for burial society that deviate from Jewish practices; Netanyahu says at least 3,000 tests to be conducted daily
Confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel have jumped by more than 40% to 433 in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Wednesday, predicting a steeper rise as mass testing is implemented.
The Public Security Ministry said compulsory closures, enforced by police, could soon be imposed across the country.
"We will reach a situation in which there are many hundreds of new patients each day, and possibly more," Moshe Bar-Siman-Tov, the Health Ministry's director-general, told Army Radio.
No fatalities have been reported in Israel, but a Health Ministry document dated March 17, informed medical and funeral staff of new regulations for handling anyone who dies as a result of coronavirus infection.
These included decontaminating and hermetically wrapping bodies in double layers of polyethylene. For Jewish dead, ritual washing of the body would be conducted in one of four special stations in the country, the document showed.
Such measures would be a departure from standard Jewish rites in Israel, where the body is ritually washed by a local burial society and generally wrapped only in a cloth smock and shroud.
Having urged Israelis to stay home and approved cyber-monitoring of their movements to reduce infection risks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at least 3,000 coronavirus tests would be conducted daily.
Among planned means for that are drive-through testing stations in Tel Aviv and elsewhere.
"I am glad that we have not yet lost anyone. But that will not continue to be the case," Netanyahu said in a televised statement on Tuesday.
But the testing site in Tel Aviv remained closed on Wednesday, as medics said they were still without the necessary kits.
An official of Hevra Kadisha, a national group that provides Jewish burial services, said contingency plans existed for mass burials in the event of a major catastrophe, such as an earthquake.
"But we are not there, nor should we expect to be. Such events would have tens of thousands of deceased, and that is not what is being anticipated now," the official said.
In the West Bank, Palestinian health officials have confirmed 44 cases and no fatalities. None have been detected in the densely populated Gaza Strip.
Confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel have jumped by more than 40% to 433 in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Wednesday, predicting a steeper rise as mass testing is implemented.
The Public Security Ministry said compulsory closures, enforced by police, could soon be imposed across the country.
"We will reach a situation in which there are many hundreds of new patients each day, and possibly more," Moshe Bar-Siman-Tov, the Health Ministry's director-general, told Army Radio.
No fatalities have been reported in Israel, but a Health Ministry document dated March 17, informed medical and funeral staff of new regulations for handling anyone who dies as a result of coronavirus infection.
These included decontaminating and hermetically wrapping bodies in double layers of polyethylene. For Jewish dead, ritual washing of the body would be conducted in one of four special stations in the country, the document showed.
Such measures would be a departure from standard Jewish rites in Israel, where the body is ritually washed by a local burial society and generally wrapped only in a cloth smock and shroud.
Having urged Israelis to stay home and approved cyber-monitoring of their movements to reduce infection risks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at least 3,000 coronavirus tests would be conducted daily.
Among planned means for that are drive-through testing stations in Tel Aviv and elsewhere.
"I am glad that we have not yet lost anyone. But that will not continue to be the case," Netanyahu said in a televised statement on Tuesday.
But the testing site in Tel Aviv remained closed on Wednesday, as medics said they were still without the necessary kits.
An official of Hevra Kadisha, a national group that provides Jewish burial services, said contingency plans existed for mass burials in the event of a major catastrophe, such as an earthquake.
"But we are not there, nor should we expect to be. Such events would have tens of thousands of deceased, and that is not what is being anticipated now," the official said.
In the West Bank, Palestinian health officials have confirmed 44 cases and no fatalities. None have been detected in the densely populated Gaza Strip.
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Five people hospitalized in serious condition; eleven patients make full recovery; Palestinians report 44 cases; police arrest suspects of breaking Health Ministry order banning mass-gatherings
The Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that 90 more patients have been tested positive for the novel coronavirus since Tuesday night, bringing Israel's sick tally to 427. Five patients are hospitalized in serious condition, ten additional patients are in moderate condition and eleven patients have made a full recovery. The IDF announced on Wednesday that two of the newly diagnosed patients |
were career soldiers in active service - patient no. 335, a man his 30s, and patient no. 336, a woman in her 20s. Both patients are hospitalized in light condition and are reported to have come in contact with another confirmed patient.
These are the eighth and ninth cases of the virus within the ranks of the Israeli army.
An IDF spokesperson said that the people who came in contact with the soldiers were updated and that other people who came in contact with them would be located.
The Palestinians reported on Wednesday three more cases of the virus in Bethlehem. There are 44 confirmed patients in the West Bank.
No infections have yet been reported in the Gaza Strip.
Israel Police said overnight Wednesday they had arrested three people suspected of organizing a wedding with 150 participants in Beit Shemesh Tuesday night, breaking a Health Ministry order prohibiting mass-gatherings as part of the measures to stave off the spread of coronavirus.
The suspects are a resident of Beit Shemesh in his 30s, a resident of East Jerusalem in his 50s, and a foreign national in his 40s who is suspected of organizing the event.
These are the eighth and ninth cases of the virus within the ranks of the Israeli army.
An IDF spokesperson said that the people who came in contact with the soldiers were updated and that other people who came in contact with them would be located.
The Palestinians reported on Wednesday three more cases of the virus in Bethlehem. There are 44 confirmed patients in the West Bank.
No infections have yet been reported in the Gaza Strip.
Israel Police said overnight Wednesday they had arrested three people suspected of organizing a wedding with 150 participants in Beit Shemesh Tuesday night, breaking a Health Ministry order prohibiting mass-gatherings as part of the measures to stave off the spread of coronavirus.
The suspects are a resident of Beit Shemesh in his 30s, a resident of East Jerusalem in his 50s, and a foreign national in his 40s who is suspected of organizing the event.
17 mar 2020
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) accused the Israeli prison administration of using the Coronavirus as a pretext to continue with the imposition of abusive measures against Palestinian prisoners, rather than providing the necessary measurements to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Fearing for their lives as an initial step in condemnation of the Israeli prison administration’s negligence and measures against them, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails returned their meals today and announced a lock-down on two sections on Saturday and Sunday.
PPS said the prison’s canteens stopped supplying prisoners with 140 products, including cleaning products which are a grave necessity in light of the novel Coronavirus outbreak, particularly amid the lack of hygiene products inside the crowded cells that already lack basic health standards.
Furthermore, the Israeli prison service has conditioned prisoners’ visits to the prisons’ clinics with the suffering of high fever, preventing and cancelling all other medical check-ups, including necessary medical visits of injured and sick prisoners.
PPS reiterated its call for all international organizations, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to intensify efforts on following-up on prisoners and to pressure the IPS to provide prisoners with preventive measures against the spread of Coronavirus and to stop exploitation of the current situations for the imposition of more abusive measures against prisoners.
He also called to keep contact with the families of the prisoners, especially the sick, in light of the IPS recent decisions to cancel all family and lawyers visits.
There are currently 5000 Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in Israeli jails, including 180 minors, 43 females, and 700 sick people, most of whom suffer from chronic diseases.
Fearing for their lives as an initial step in condemnation of the Israeli prison administration’s negligence and measures against them, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails returned their meals today and announced a lock-down on two sections on Saturday and Sunday.
PPS said the prison’s canteens stopped supplying prisoners with 140 products, including cleaning products which are a grave necessity in light of the novel Coronavirus outbreak, particularly amid the lack of hygiene products inside the crowded cells that already lack basic health standards.
Furthermore, the Israeli prison service has conditioned prisoners’ visits to the prisons’ clinics with the suffering of high fever, preventing and cancelling all other medical check-ups, including necessary medical visits of injured and sick prisoners.
PPS reiterated its call for all international organizations, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to intensify efforts on following-up on prisoners and to pressure the IPS to provide prisoners with preventive measures against the spread of Coronavirus and to stop exploitation of the current situations for the imposition of more abusive measures against prisoners.
He also called to keep contact with the families of the prisoners, especially the sick, in light of the IPS recent decisions to cancel all family and lawyers visits.
There are currently 5000 Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in Israeli jails, including 180 minors, 43 females, and 700 sick people, most of whom suffer from chronic diseases.
The Health Ministry confirms a jump of 33 infected since the morning hours with another patient being admitted in a serious condition; health authorities say there's also a rise in number of those who recover
Another twenty people have tested positive for coronavirus since the morning hours bringing the total number of infected in Israel to 324, with five patients remaining in a serious condition, health authorities reported on Tuesday.
The Health Ministry said at least 234 patients are hospitalized, 20 are in the process of hospitalization, while 64 others are being treated at home. Thirteen others are still being evaluated to decide whether they will be treated at a hospital or at home.
Eleven patients have recovered and have already been released from hospitals. The number represents a welcome increase as six Israelis were found to be free of the pathogen on Tuesday and are due to be discharged from Sheba Medical Center in Tel A
The director of the hospital's special unit, Dr. Gadi Segal, said: "I hope that the more [previously infected] people return to normal life, the more people will realize that the disease can be beaten, and the more they obey Ministry of Health's guidelines, the more it will be eradicated."
Nevertheless, five patients remain in a serious condition. One of the patients is an 88-year-old man with an underlying health condition. He was admitted to The Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem overnight Sunday with breathing problems.
Two other patients in serious condition are a tour driver who transported Greek pilgrims found to be infected upon their return home and a worker at Ben-Gurion Airport. Eleven others are in moderate condition and the rest in mild condition.
The Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed that another employee at one of the medical labs that conducts coronavirus tests has been infected with the new virus. The patient is a 50-year-old woman and she is the second case of a lab worker becoming infected with the pathogen.
On Sunday it was revealed that a senior employee at the Health Ministry’s central laboratory in Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer has tested positive for coronavirus. She has been quarantined and her condition is described as light.
The Health Ministry said they are working to find an alternative laboratory to conduct COVID-19 tests since the entire team working the infected employee must enter a 14-day home-quarantine.
In addition, a second doctor at the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv has tested positive for COVID-19. Forty hospital staff members who worked with the doctor at the hospital's urology unit have entered a home-quarantine.
Earlier, another chief physician at Ichilov has tested positive for the novel coronavirus after working in a ward that treated patients suspected to have contracted the pathogen.
Another twenty people have tested positive for coronavirus since the morning hours bringing the total number of infected in Israel to 324, with five patients remaining in a serious condition, health authorities reported on Tuesday.
The Health Ministry said at least 234 patients are hospitalized, 20 are in the process of hospitalization, while 64 others are being treated at home. Thirteen others are still being evaluated to decide whether they will be treated at a hospital or at home.
Eleven patients have recovered and have already been released from hospitals. The number represents a welcome increase as six Israelis were found to be free of the pathogen on Tuesday and are due to be discharged from Sheba Medical Center in Tel A
The director of the hospital's special unit, Dr. Gadi Segal, said: "I hope that the more [previously infected] people return to normal life, the more people will realize that the disease can be beaten, and the more they obey Ministry of Health's guidelines, the more it will be eradicated."
Nevertheless, five patients remain in a serious condition. One of the patients is an 88-year-old man with an underlying health condition. He was admitted to The Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem overnight Sunday with breathing problems.
Two other patients in serious condition are a tour driver who transported Greek pilgrims found to be infected upon their return home and a worker at Ben-Gurion Airport. Eleven others are in moderate condition and the rest in mild condition.
The Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed that another employee at one of the medical labs that conducts coronavirus tests has been infected with the new virus. The patient is a 50-year-old woman and she is the second case of a lab worker becoming infected with the pathogen.
On Sunday it was revealed that a senior employee at the Health Ministry’s central laboratory in Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer has tested positive for coronavirus. She has been quarantined and her condition is described as light.
The Health Ministry said they are working to find an alternative laboratory to conduct COVID-19 tests since the entire team working the infected employee must enter a 14-day home-quarantine.
In addition, a second doctor at the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv has tested positive for COVID-19. Forty hospital staff members who worked with the doctor at the hospital's urology unit have entered a home-quarantine.
Earlier, another chief physician at Ichilov has tested positive for the novel coronavirus after working in a ward that treated patients suspected to have contracted the pathogen.
Police say the man is suspected to have escaped from a hospital in the northern city of Hadera and took a train to Be'er Sheva, some 130 km away, where he was detained by officers in hazmat suits
A suspected coronavirus patient was detained in southern Israel on Tuesday after he fled a hospital in the north, some 130 km (81 miles) away.
The man, who took a train from the city of Hadera to the city of Be'er Sheva, was arrested at 12 am close at a train station near Ben-Gurion University and taken to Soroka Medical Center for examination.
Police officers in hazmat suits entered the train wearing hazmat suits and escorted the man, suspected to have escaped a coronavirus quarantine at The Hillel Yaffe Medical Center.
Once the suspected patients had been escorted, the police took the details of all the passengers who were inside the train at the time of the incident.
Police said on Monday evening they received a report about a patient who is suspected to have escaped from an emergency room and was heading to Be’er Sheva by train.
Upon receiving the report, local police officers contacted Israel Railways and the train was stopped at Be’er Sheva North train station for an hour in order to locate the suspected coronavirus patient.
Police say they are calling on the public to adhere to the Health Ministry’s guidelines in order not to disrupt the national effort to combat the virus outbreak in Israel.
"Israel Police will continue to enforce the Health Ministry’s directives to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, in the public domain, businesses and elsewhere, all with the aim of maintaining public order and health."
A suspected coronavirus patient was detained in southern Israel on Tuesday after he fled a hospital in the north, some 130 km (81 miles) away.
The man, who took a train from the city of Hadera to the city of Be'er Sheva, was arrested at 12 am close at a train station near Ben-Gurion University and taken to Soroka Medical Center for examination.
Police officers in hazmat suits entered the train wearing hazmat suits and escorted the man, suspected to have escaped a coronavirus quarantine at The Hillel Yaffe Medical Center.
Once the suspected patients had been escorted, the police took the details of all the passengers who were inside the train at the time of the incident.
Police said on Monday evening they received a report about a patient who is suspected to have escaped from an emergency room and was heading to Be’er Sheva by train.
Upon receiving the report, local police officers contacted Israel Railways and the train was stopped at Be’er Sheva North train station for an hour in order to locate the suspected coronavirus patient.
Police say they are calling on the public to adhere to the Health Ministry’s guidelines in order not to disrupt the national effort to combat the virus outbreak in Israel.
"Israel Police will continue to enforce the Health Ministry’s directives to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, in the public domain, businesses and elsewhere, all with the aim of maintaining public order and health."
Some 1,500 of residents of Kiryat Ye’arim near Jerusalem are in quarantine, with 8 confirmed cases; among ill are several members of same family and a woman who recently gave birth
Health Minister Yaakov Litzman is considering sealing off the ultra-Orthodox town Kiryat Ye’arim (Telz-Stone) near Jerusalem after eight locals were confirmed to be infected with coronavirus and over 1,500 were quarantined. This would be a first for an Israeli community.
The Health Ministry said it was awaiting the test results from five additional families in the 6,000-member community before making a final decision.
On Monday, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri approved NIS 500,000 ($113,000) in aid to the Kiryat Ye’arim council.
Among those ill with the virus in the town were several members of a single family and a woman who recently gave birth.
Kiryat Ye’arim is home to a post-natal recovery center and a person ill with the coronavirus paid a visit there earlier this month before their diagnosis, according to the Health Ministry.
Also Monday, the deputy head of the Health Ministry Itamar Grotto said more strict restrictions on movement were being considered as part of the measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“We may ask people to leave the house less, and only for necessary errands," Grotto said. "The government is considering a general closure on all citizens, and if that happens it would mean all age groups will be asked to stay home until further notice."
On Saturday, the government announced the latest wave of restrictions, saying all educational institutions would be shuttered and gatherings limited to no more than 10 people at any one time.
On Sunday, all “non-essential” businesses, including malls, restaurants and most stores, were shut down.
Over 50,000 Israelis are currently in quarantine and at least 300 are confirmed infected with the virus.
Health Minister Yaakov Litzman is considering sealing off the ultra-Orthodox town Kiryat Ye’arim (Telz-Stone) near Jerusalem after eight locals were confirmed to be infected with coronavirus and over 1,500 were quarantined. This would be a first for an Israeli community.
The Health Ministry said it was awaiting the test results from five additional families in the 6,000-member community before making a final decision.
On Monday, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri approved NIS 500,000 ($113,000) in aid to the Kiryat Ye’arim council.
Among those ill with the virus in the town were several members of a single family and a woman who recently gave birth.
Kiryat Ye’arim is home to a post-natal recovery center and a person ill with the coronavirus paid a visit there earlier this month before their diagnosis, according to the Health Ministry.
Also Monday, the deputy head of the Health Ministry Itamar Grotto said more strict restrictions on movement were being considered as part of the measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“We may ask people to leave the house less, and only for necessary errands," Grotto said. "The government is considering a general closure on all citizens, and if that happens it would mean all age groups will be asked to stay home until further notice."
On Saturday, the government announced the latest wave of restrictions, saying all educational institutions would be shuttered and gatherings limited to no more than 10 people at any one time.
On Sunday, all “non-essential” businesses, including malls, restaurants and most stores, were shut down.
Over 50,000 Israelis are currently in quarantine and at least 300 are confirmed infected with the virus.
