Harsh letter from rabbanim in Florida (not about visitors)

grace413

Thu, May 14 2020, 2:58 am

cnc wrote:

This is Young Israel of Deerfield Beach which a retirement community that’s officially 55+.
Most members are way older than 55. They’re part of the most vulnerable population and what they did was extremely reckless.

This.

This shul is located in Century Village where the average age is around 80. Most people have some underlying condition and are at very high risk.

No point in pussyfooting around when people's lives are at stake.

FranticFrummie

Thu, May 14 2020, 3:49 am

amother [ Bronze ] wrote:

I'm actually impressed that a Rabbi had the guts to say something like that to his members. When they officially joined this shul they agreed to follow its policies. Here's a Rabbi that actually sticks to his guns.

Imagine if the wedding takanos, agunos, etc. were enforced in this way? We'd all be better off for it.

Agreed. The guidelines have been in place for months now. If people are still not following them, or thinking that they can get too relaxed, the rabbi has every right to put his foot down.

He's not telling people to go play in traffic, he's telling them to keep safe!

teachkids

Thu, May 14 2020, 6:14 am

People, you gotta find the situation out before you start to panic. This is the shul in century village, a retirement community. I’m sure the whole neighborhood is in significant lockdown, and rightfully so, because it’s a lot of high risk people in a small area (have any of you seen the numbers from ny nursing homes?). I’m sure the rabbi and the leadership of the village (and the doctors in the area) gave multiple warnings before this publicized letter.

amother

Dodgerblue

Thu, May 14 2020, 7:04 am

amother [ Babyblue ] wrote:

Yea, its so disgusting the way they tried to protect their extremely elderly population! Its horrible. they should have let them all die so that the NYers could have a nice vacation over Pesach! So so disgusting.

Yes it was disgusting the way they went about it. To go to the governor and complain about Jews that’s disgusting. There are nicer ways they could have achieved what they wanted. It shows the true colors of Floridians and seeing what they did pesach and what the rabbis of the shuls did on pesach telling the people to tell on their neighbors if they have guest to the authorities. This letter didn’t come out of a vacuum. I’m not surprised being that most people lost respect for the Florida rabbis after pesach anyways this just shows their true colors.

amother

Dodgerblue

Thu, May 14 2020, 7:08 am

amother [ Crimson ] wrote:

Let's not forget the other rabbinic powers that be from outside FL that also issued statements before pesach: agudah, RCA, OU, young Israel, Lakewood vaad. Also the rabbinic powers that be in other oot communities such as Cleveland. Wow, so many opportunities to hate!

Hello that was at the height of corona it’s different now. Now they are allowing porch minyanims and in New Jersey they are talking about opening up minyanim this week or next week.

Florida is basically opened already. the beaches are opened and universal studios is opening this week.

Did they really do something wrong? It seems to me more the rabbi has an ego that he told them not to do it and they didn’t listen and he can’t get over his pride. I’m not surprised seems like Orlando rabbi I’m fight with each other and in boca the rabbonim fight each trying to be the best rabbi so really this is nothing new.

fleetwood

Thu, May 14 2020, 7:49 am

amother [ Dodgerblue ] wrote:

Have you been to the village? This was no porch minyan,Bec there are no porches! There is a catwalk. Having ten men standing on the catwalk for any length of time is dangerous to themselves and their neighbors.

watergirl

Thu, May 14 2020, 7:59 am

amother [ Dodgerblue ] wrote:

You seem really upset that your Pesach plans were cancelled. I'm sorry you were disappointed. Its strange to see how you are taking the ruling of the Florida rabbonim and government and putting that onto all Floridians. True colors? For following the psak and the law? Yes. Then that must mean they have wonderful integrity.

Please, tell me. What would you have wanted to see happen over Pesach? You keep bringing it up. Do you think they should have let everyone come into the state from the hottest hit place in the country?

I will echo what others said about the community where this letter came from. It is not your typical Miami or Hollywood. It is mostly very elderly. They did what they had to do to protect everyone. Also, this is a Young Israel shul. They have bylaws, standards, and specific way to run the shul. I applaud them for taking a stand on this issue. Was the language harsh? Yes. They must have felt it needed to be so. Like others here have said, this was not out of the blue. We have ALL been begged by our rabbis not to go to minyan now. Not to make secret minyanim now. One rabbi even said (I posted the picture in another thread) that anyone who davens at a secret minayn at this time can no longer get a kavod in his shul because he is not davening to Hashem, he is worshiping the minyan.

I will take this one step further. I would love to see a letter exactly like this sent out to anyone who withholds a gett. Or abuses his child. Or other similarly despicable issurim. Maybe this will start a new thing. Lets see.

amother

Babypink

Thu, May 14 2020, 8:29 am

amother [ Dodgerblue ] wrote:

I have gained a lot of respect for the Rabbis in Florida. They showed true leadership and saved a lot of lives. We saw in NY what happens when hospitals are overwhelmed. It cost a lot of lives. Besides for keeping NYers out, they organized a lot of chessed to help people in the community that needed.

I have a place in Boca, and did not go down. Not for Pesach and not for a "vacation". I actually tested positive for the virus 3 weeks ago, and had I gone down when I wanted to, I would have brought the virus there.

The Rabbis in Florida were united, and took a stand. This was very effective. It worked, and so many lives were saved. They don't care if you like it, they did what needed to be done. For this, I have a lot of respect for them.

In Israel, where the government enforced the ruled, they will be able to open up much quicker. It's the people breaking rules that are keeping us all prisoner to this virus.

watergirl

Thu, May 14 2020, 9:04 am

PinkFridge wrote:

You know what the tragedy is?
That we live in a world where internal things can't stay internal. Why did I have to know about this?

I assume if they put it in print, they know the golden rule about putting things in print... you lose control of it the second it goes to someone else. They did so intentionally. They are not naive.

But you did not have to know about it. It was your choice to open this thread and it was your choice to click the link and read the letter. The title of the thread is clear, you knew when you opened it that you would be reading a letter, or reading about a letter. No one made you do any of those things. You did not have to know.

PinkFridge

Thu, May 14 2020, 9:07 am

watergirl wrote:

You're absolutely right.
I think that the situation is still sad though.

watergirl

Thu, May 14 2020, 9:15 am

PinkFridge wrote:

You're absolutely right.
I think that the situation is still sad though.

The whole thing is so sad. So many things are coming out that I wish I did now know about. I hear you on those lines. I would not know about the secret schools if I didn't read those threads... and no one forced me to. I would be a lot happier if I did not know what I know. But is ignorance bliss?

amother

Orchid

Thu, May 14 2020, 9:32 am

amother [ Dodgerblue ] wrote:

I know stores are secretly open for business here. But sorry I disagree. I read many news cites and none of them blamed the Jews. They mentioned the vacationers. Many places that have vacationers have the same problem. Now many are trying to figure out what to do with memorial day vacationers. It was smart of the Florida jews to complain about the vacationers in advance. It would be a huge chilly hashem if they found out the hard way. As far as telling authority. For some Jews it's human nature to see what they could get away with. If you were warned why did you go anyway. Anyone who thinks about themselves before other is selfish. Whatever you do please have others in mind too.

thanks

Thu, May 14 2020, 9:44 am

PinkFridge wrote:

You're absolutely right.
I think that the situation is still sad though.

Yes it's sad that people are not listening to rabbinic leadership, and this is what it came to. The rabbis in Florida made it very well know what there position is. Kudos to them for their leadership.
Perhaps you didn't need to know this, but it was publicized deliberately for a very good reason.

amother

Dodgerblue

Thu, May 14 2020, 10:04 am

amother [ Babypink ] wrote:

First of all tons of people went down to Florida the rabbonim didn’t stop anyone either they drove with a rented car and different license plate or they did a Detour to avoid the checkpoints. So people were still there.

Second the reason why New York has so many cases is because hospitals killed people but that’s another topic. New York should not have had so many deaths and magically most deaths happened Over Shabbos or yom tov when the Jews were celebrating Shabbos or yom tov and the Jewish nurses weren’t working. Every Sunday there were over 70 levayas.

amother

Babypink

Thu, May 14 2020, 10:11 am

amother [ Dodgerblue ] wrote:

You may know people who went, but I know many people who changed their plans and did not go. Thousand less than previous years, with all programs in Florida canceled.

If it's true what you are saying about New York hospitals, then certainly we do not want that to be happening in Florida hospitals or anywhere else. Keep the germs where they are until they die out. Stay home and stop the spread.

amother

Violet

Thu, May 14 2020, 10:21 am

Some posters on this thread have the mentality Of the maphia are just astonishing me. When the US is the highest in corona cases and the frum areas are the hottest places in the US and Israel. when you see this attitude you just feel like giving up on people. You are shaming this rabbi and bullying him and practically threatening him with social pressure. Just because he was saying the truth. People are so entitled and stupid and just mean.