“Let’s put aside for a moment the medical aspect, and consider the economic impact on that sector,” said Moshe Yossef Lefkovitch, a member of the tiny Alexander Hassidic sect.
By PEGGY CIDORHaredi residents of Jerusalem’s Geula neighborhood(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The ultra-Orthodox population of Jerusalem comprises some 39% of the city’s approximately 983,000 residents. As the virus crosses all demographic boundaries, it has erupted in haredi neighborhoods throughout the capital, sending hundreds of ultra-Orthodox residents into isolation at home or in hospitals. While some behaviors by haredim during the pandemic have raised criticism and even expressions of hate, it is clearly a difficult time for the ultra-Orthodox community.“Let’s put aside for a moment the medical aspect, and consider the economic impact on that sector,” said Moshe Yossef Lefkovitch, a member of the tiny Alexander Hassidic sect.“The quasi-majority of the 13,000 residents of Mea She’arim – to which we have to add about 5,000 or 6,000 foreigners who come from the USA or England to study here – all these people live thanks to donations from the large hassidic population abroad. Well, this is finished. The coronavirus has hit them there, too. As a result, this year, not a penny will come from there.”According to Lefkovitch, about $1 billion in donations comes from abroad into the local haredi community every year for Passover.“It covers everything – shoes, clothing, food, hats, hassidic outfits – absolutely everything. And right now, two weeks before Passover, nothing is coming in. This is a catastrophe, perhaps no less dangerous than the virus itself, since many of these people have no other income.”Asked why so many actions by haredim and decisions made by their spiritual leaders in recent weeks did not respect Health Ministry rules, Lefkovitch said this was another tragic aspect of the crisis.“In universities and high schools there is an extensive use of the Internet and all these devices to learn from home, but in the yeshivot of the haredi sector, hassidic and Lithuanian alike, this is out of the question. The rabbis are so afraid of the Internet all the time, so now, in a time of crisis, they are even more against it. So at first, they refused to change anything, and then ruled to study in small groups in separate, smaller classes. But even that is not working.”“They live in very small apartments,” Lefkovitch said. “Now, all of a sudden, seven, eight or even nine children come back home and they are literally living on top of each other. That, obviously, is not exactly protecting against propagation of the virus. These are terrible times for this community.”Asked if the crisis could be a test for believers, Lefkovitch said it is exactly the opposite. Lefkovitch explained that in times of crisis and threat, the rabbis call for repentance, fasting and adding more prayers as a means to alleviate danger. He said that news about so many yeshiva students in Israel and America, along with some revered rabbis, becoming ill is adding to the anxiety and fear.Ironically, after meeting for the first time with official high-ranking members of the government, the Eida Haredit – an organization representing several hassidic streams that reject Zionist ideology and do not recognize the State of Israel – were among the first haredim to take strict measures to protect their communities from the virus by closing their yeshivot.
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