As Israel’s government announced a lockdown of neighborhoods in five cities last week, Bnei Brak was not included despite its high rate of infection, although the city was initially on the list of high-risk locations that were to be declared “restricted zones.”
However, Bnei Brak was removed from the list at the last minute due to the strenuous efforts of the municipality to stem the rising infection rate by various methods, including a policy of stringent enforcement of health ministry regulations, the formation of a special committee to monitor the city’s institutions and daily surprise inspections of the city’s institutions.
The municipality, under the direction of Mayor Meir Rubinstein, formed a committee on Wednesday of local Rabbanim and doctors who will oversee adherence of health ministry regulations throughout the city, especially at shuls and yeshivos, and carry out surprise inspections.
The task force members were told by the Rabbanim that they are permitted to report institutions that are not adhering to regulations.
Any institutions found to be in violation of health regulations will be closed. A shul and kollel were already closed by the municipality on Thursday night after repeated violations of health regulations over at least two days.
It should be noted that although there are other cites with a much higher increase in infection rate in the past week, such as Ra’anana with a 22% increase in infection rate as compared to Bnei Brak’s “mere” 5% increase, the high population density and the many large families in Bnei Brak exacerbate the situation and leads to a far higher number of patients overall.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
That’s the way to do it.
Keep crowding limits!
Wear masks!
Keep distance!
Sanitize hands!
In some neigborhoods in yerushalayim they are doing this pretty well, while in others they’re making protests.
The mayor of Bnei Brak is Avraham Rubinstein, Meir Rubinstein is mayor of Beitar Ilit.
Its good to see that common sense prevailed and the rabbonim explicitly authorized reporting violators rather than invoking concerns regarding mesirah etc. A few unreported violations could result in the entire city being locked-down. Also good to see that the political leadership recognized the critical importance of including BOTH medical professionals and rabbonim in the decisionmaking process.
@Gadolhatorah
It’s good to see that the rabbonim agree with you (and me)
Last week, I think it was, someone chided you when you suggested that the name of the violator (with the big bas mitzvah party) should be published…he was concerned about “lashon hara.”
I think he did not understand the importance of warning others about potential dangers as far as the question of lashon hara is concrned.
We need to warn others so they will take proper action and so that others will mend their ways.
I’m even for using the community bulettin boards to publicize violators, in order that the fear of public shaming will strike a fear in them that the fines and police have not.
For those utilizing social media, photographs of the violators without their masks and congegrating in large groups could be posted.
How much of a sacrifice is it to wear a mask, which will help prevent an unwitting carrier from spreading it to others?