BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Three members of an Orthodox community in Buenos Aires were arrested for operating a mikvah, or ritual Jewish bath, after Argentina ordered all synagogues closed last Friday as part of a strict crackdown on gatherings to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
The city’s lead prosecutor, Juan Bautista Mahiques, confirmed to the A24 news channel that a rabbi was among those taken into custody following a police raid Sunday on the Adjut Israel mikvah in the Belgrano neighborhood.
The Argentine Jewish umbrella organization DAIA issued a statement on Monday urging Jewish communities throughout the country to obey the government’s orders.
console.log("catid body is "+catID);if(catID==120){document.getElementsByClassName("divConnatix")[0].style.display ="none";var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://player.anyclip.com/anyclip-widget/lre-widget/prod/v1/src/lre.js'; script.setAttribute('pubname','jpostcom'); script.setAttribute('widgetname','0011r00001lcD1i_12258'); document.getElementsByClassName('divAnyClip')[0].appendChild(script);}else if(catID!=69 && catID!=2){ document.getElementsByClassName("divConnatix")[0].style.display ="none"; var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://static.vidazoo.com/basev/vwpt.js'; script.setAttribute('data-widget-id','60fd6becf6393400049e6535'); document.getElementsByClassName('divVidazoo')[0].appendChild(script); }“When human life is in danger, compliance with civil laws is above all precept,” the statement reads. “The ‘pikuach nefesh’ [principle of saving a life] nullifies all precepts, because what is preserved is human life.”