With more than 602,000 cases and 34,000 deaths since the start of the epidemic, according to data from the Johns-Hopkins University, New York State is one of the most bereaved in the United States. But that did not prevent the celebration of a Hasidic wedding bringing together several thousand people in the Yetev Lev synagogue in Williamsburg, in the Brooklyn neighborhood. The New York Post relayed images of the event, in a room that can accommodate up to 7,000 people.
The total number of participants remains unknown, but we can see several hundred people, without masks, huddled together, celebrating this wedding. According to the Yiddish newspaper Der Blatt, “the preparations were carried out secretly and discreetly”, due to the restrictions put in place in New York, where another ultra-Orthodox Jewish wedding scheduled for more than 10,000 people had been narrowly called off there. a few weeks. “All notices of upcoming celebrations have been conveyed by word of mouth, without written notice, without posters on the walls of the synagogue, without mailed invitations, or even a report in any publication, including this newspaper ”, explains Der Blatt.
A huge mask-free hassidic wedding with thousands of guests was organized in New York by word-of-mouth alone, without any press or government officials finding out beforehand.
Read the full details at https://t.co/ARWQVToliWpic.twitter.com/MfDvf8d1Ob
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) November 22, 2020
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“It was incredibly irresponsible, simply unacceptable”
The authorities, who were not alerted, did not intervene to stop the marriage. But these images have provoked a lively controversy, while this event “clearly violated” the restrictions related to the coronavirus, denounced the spokesman for the firefighters of New York, Frank Dwyer. According to the rules in force, places of worship can organize religious services indoors in a single room, with an occupancy capacity limited to 50%, with social distancing to be maintained between participants from different households, who must wear a mask.
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None of these rules have been followed here. “It’s just not acceptable, we’ve been through so much … It was incredibly irresponsible, just unacceptable,” said Bill de Blasio, the mayor of the city, on New York 1, speaking of this marriage. New York City Hall has decided to impose a fine of $ 15,000, or about 12,600 euros, on the Yetev Lev synagogue, explains the New York Post. “There could be additional consequences to follow,” also said Bill de Blasio. The organizers of this wedding have not officially commented on this sanction.
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