The lawsuits followed heightened tensions over the new lockdowns, which prompted ultra-Orthodox Jews in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn this week to protest, light masks on fire and attack at least three people, including two local men accused of disloyalty to the Hasidic community.
The governors order will affect hundreds of synagogues and tens of thousands of Orthodox Jews in New York, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs said that instead of targeting houses of worship, Mr. Cuomo should have focused on enforcing social distancing and other Covid-19 restrictions, including at bars and restaurants.
The rabbis in the lawsuit said their synagogues had already implemented strict protocols in compliance with earlier state mandates, including splitting services into separate gatherings and requiring congregants to wear a mask.
There is simply no justification for the unwarranted, unnecessary and unconstitutional restrictions imposed this week, lawyers for Agudath Israel wrote.
At one point during Fridays hearing, which was conducted by telephone, more than 700 people had dialed in. Some of them did not mute their phones, turning the hearing into a chaotic two hours, as the arguments were interrupted by occasional screaming, music, burping and shouts of Trump 2020.
The Orthodox Jewish community was devastated by the coronavirus in the spring, when local leaders and ultra-Orthodox news organizations said hundreds of people might have died, including beloved religious leaders.
But since then, many in the community have failed to wear masks and adhere to other public health guidelines because of what local leaders describe as a mix of denial, misinformation and wishful thinking about herd immunity.read more
Cuomo’s Restrictions on Synagogues in Virus Hot Spots Can Go Forward
