Reply To: New York State is Denying Access to Education to Anti-Vaxer Students

Neville Chaim Berlin: State law mandates that all children between the age of 6-16 must be educated. The state can’t force them to vaccinate if they claim they are not doing it for religious purposes. This is even though 99% of Jews hold that it’s a Mitzvah to be vaccinated. If an individual claims it’s against his religion by secular law it’s against his religion. For example before Marijuana was legal American Indians claimed that they smoked it for religious purposes and won in federal court.

On one hand the state is mandating the number of hours that secular studies must be taught to yeshiva students and on the other hand the same state is denying yeshiva students access to learn. because the state doesn’t agree with their religious believes.

I realize that there is a bias here against the anti-vaxers but they are still Jews and there is an obligation to educate every Jew not just the ones you agree with.