Inside Israel’s ultra-Orthodox communities where ‘prayer and study more important than Covid'

Implementing lockdowns has proven a struggle for authorities due to the structure of the religious communities

Ultra-Orthodox Jews gather around the body of Head of the Brisk Yeshiva, Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik, who passed away aged 99 after months of fighting Covid-19, in Jerusalem, Israel. EPA

An aerial view shows ultra-Orthodox Jews taking part in the funeral of Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik amid coronavirus restrictions in a cemetery in Jerusalem. Reuters

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews attend the funeral procession for Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik in Jerusalem. AFP

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews participate in the funeral for prominent Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik in Jerusalem. AP

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews participate in the funeral for Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik in Jerusalem. AP

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews participate in the funeral of Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik. AP

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews attend the funeral procession for Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik. AFP

Ultra-Orthodox Jews participate in the funeral for Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik in Jerusalem. AP

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews participate in the funeral for Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik in Jerusalem. AP

Ultra-Orthodox Jews gather around the body of Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik. EPA

Scenes of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews breaking lockdown rules to attend a funeral in Jerusalem sparked anger in Israel, but those within the community say they are facing unique challenges during the coronavirus pandemic.

An estimated 10,000 people attended the first of two funerals for prominent rabbis on January 31, despite Israeli law that decreed only a handful of relatives can attend such a gathering.

It was not clear if the two rabbis, who were in their late nineties, died from coronavirus.

While the events frustrated those abiding by the rules and led to criticism of the police for allowing them to go ahead, some within Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox community criticised what they described as authorities’ double standards.

“Epidemiologically speaking, what’s the difference between a demonstration and a funeral?” said Akiva Weisfeld, 39, a lawyer living in the city’s Kiryat Belz neighbourhood.

Protests are allowed under Israel’s lockdown rules, and Mr Weisfeld said he respected the mourners’ decision.

He said he was absent from the funeral because he belongs to a different ultra-Orthodox sect.

"This is the funeral of a spiritual leader, not just someone who gets elected every four years," he told The National.

The funerals prompted fears that the community could suffer a spike in coronavirus cases, as Israel struggles to cut infections despite a six-week nationwide lockdown and vaccination drive.

Yehuda Polishuk, 40, an ultra-Orthodox educational entrepreneur, in his Jerusalem office. Rosie Scammell for The National

Yehuda Polishuk, a resident of the Givat Shaul neighbourhood which mourners passed by, said religious leaders urged their followers not to attend.

“This funeral should not have happened. It was against the instructions of the spiritual leadership,” said Mr Polishuk, who works to promote education of Jewish history and co-operation between communities.

Sitting at his desk below a picture of his late rabbi, the 40-year-old estimated such a funeral would usually have drawn 100,000 mourners.

The episode demonstrated how coronavirus measures are sometimes applied differently to the ultra-Orthodox community, which according to the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) accounts for 12 per cent of the population.

"If the police had dispersed the funeral forcibly - while using tear gas, water canon and batons - it would have ended with hundreds of casualties,” one senior police official told Israel’s Channel 12.

The burials followed clashes earlier in January between police and ultra-Orthodox residents of Bnei Brak, a town near Tel Aviv, while there have also been skirmishes in Jerusalem when officers tried to enforce coronavirus measures.

The impact is way bigger on the ultra-Orthodox community, it's basically impossible to handle the pandemic

While implementing lockdowns has proven a struggle for Israeli authorities, the structure of the ultra-Orthodox society, with large families living in small homes and taking part in many communal gatherings, has made combating coronavirus particularly difficult.

“The ultra-Orthodox way of life is way more social than regular life, you go to the synagogue three times a day, you meet hundreds of people,” said Mr Weisfeld, who has eight children.

“The impact is way bigger on the ultra-Orthodox community, it’s basically impossible to handle the pandemic,” he said.

Akiva Weisfeld, 39, an ultra-Orthodox lawyer, sits outside his home in Jerusalem. Rosie Scammell for The National

Yael Zien, who lives in the ultra-Orthodox town of Kiryat Ye'arim near Jerusalem, said the community also suffers from a lack of information.

“The Haredim live in a different world. The government does things on the internet and television. But the Haredim don’t have internet,” she said, using another term for ultra-Orthodox.

“If people don’t get enough information, they don’t know how dangerous it is,” said Mrs Zien, 26, who presents and produces TV and radio programmes for the ultra-Orthodox community.

Along with her three children and husband, Mrs Zien contracted coronavirus a month ago and said her local community stepped up with deliveries of food and games.

Mr Polishuk, who along with his family has suffered from Covid-19, said the closure of education has been particularly tough for the community.

“It creates an impossible situation, where the kids are at home together in a small place,” said the father-of-six. “Long-distance studying is basically impossible, because there are no computers and no internet.”

Some schools have opened in ultra-Orthodox neighbourhoods against government regulations.

Mr Weisfeld saw no alternative but to send some of his children back to the classroom.

“How far can you get studying over the phone with 10 people in the house?” he asked, explaining that schools were operating with precautions such as masks.

Mr Weisfeld is aware of the risks, having contracted coronavirus with his family last summer, but said the government must understand that education is a pillar of the ultra-Orthodox community.

“Prayer and studies are way more important. More important than corona, more important than demonstrations,” he said.

As Israel confronts a stubbornly high infection rate - with 8.9 per cent of the latest 84,121 tests being positive - authorities are urging the public to be vaccinated.

While people who have recovered from the virus are not yet being prioritised for the inoculation, those interviewed by The National said the vaccine was being promoted within the ultra-Orthodox community.

The vaccination drive came as Israel prepares to go to the polls, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking re-election with the backing of ultra-Orthodox lawmakers.

Their outsized political influence has affected policymaking, with ultra-Orthodox MPs stepping in to block legislation deemed damaging to their constituents.

“Another thing they rejected was the fines for the people that don’t keep the rules. For months they blocked this,” said Gilad Malach, director of IDI’s Ultra-Orthodox in Israel Programme.

“There were weddings and the owner of the place got a fine of 5,000 shekels ($1,520). If he earns much more than that it doesn’t threaten him,” Mr Malach said.

Legislation was eventually pushed through parliament on Sunday to double such fines.

Before the March 23 election, politicians hoping to unseat the prime minister may capitalise on the perceived failure of the government to impose lockdown laws in the ultra-Orthodox community.

“But for Netanyahu, he needs their support,” said Mr Malach. “He depends on their votes, so he’s very delicate with them.”

For Mrs Zien, problems with the authorities would be resolved if even more ultra-Orthodox Jews worked in government in order to better explain their community’s needs.

“Coronavirus is something that knocked out the whole world, it’s not the time now to fight,” she said. “It’s time to help each other and be like brothers.”