NEW YORK (AP/VINnews) — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio oversaw the dispersal of a large, tightly packed Hasidic Jewish funeral and lashed out at the mourners who had gathered in defiance of social distancing rules intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus. as reported last night by VINnews.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
“My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed,” de Blasio tweeted Tuesday after police dispersed the funeral in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.
In another tweet, de Blasio said, “Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonite: a large funeral gathering in the middle of this pandemic.” He said he went there to ensure that the crowd was broken up and added, “what I saw WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the Coronavirus.”
Images posted on social media show hundreds of people on the street for what was reportedly a funeral for a rabbi who had died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Some but not all of the mourners wore face coverings.
A police spokesman said Wednesday that the crowd was dispersed without arrests.
Critics accused de Blasio of singling out the Orthodox Jewish community for censure when others have violated social distancing rules as well.
Others noted the crowds that gathered earlier Tuesday to watch a flyover by the Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds to honor health-care workers.
“Only bigots have a problem when a few 100 Hasidim do what thousands of people in the same city have done the same day (not social distance).” the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council tweeted.
Hundreds have taken to Twitter to express their view and dismay with the Mayor.
I wonder why theses two communities would be treated so differently?
This is crazy and scary. https://t.co/Q0jkA2Bcod— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 29, 2020
Hey @NYCMayor, there are 1mil+ Jewish people in #NYC. The few who don’t social distance should be called out — but generalizing against the whole population is outrageous especially when so many are scapegoating Jews. This erodes the very unity our city needs now more than ever. https://t.co/jcYO9QQred
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) April 29, 2020
Two things are true at same time:@NYCMayor YOU need to apologize for your DANGEROUS singling out of an entire “Jewish community” rather than ALL individual rule-benders!
To those still not adhering: YOU are responsible for harming YOURSELVES and others around you!
STOP IT ALL https://t.co/QKqMv0FEXt pic.twitter.com/yPyqhQnSQO
— Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) April 29, 2020
This Funeral was originally approved and actually organized by @NYPDnews 2 hours b4 it started, PD brought trucks with barriers/tower lights to close off Bedford Avenue and the surrounding area. It's the @NYCMayor’s Dept who originally approved it before deciding to take it back. https://t.co/i1EtGvCkKO
— Satmar Headquarters (@HQSatmar) April 29, 2020
Thread that will likely annoy everyone. What happened yesterday in Williamsburg is a case study: ‘whatever can go wrong, will go wrong’ – pandemic version. Let me count the ways.
— David G. Greenfield (@NYCGreenfield) April 29, 2020
Hey @NYCMayor have you noticed that the Mayor of Baton Rouge has not used that one church holding services as an occasion to scold all protestants? Something to think about.
— Scott Ashworth (@soashworth) April 29, 2020
There should have been one standard for ALL New Yorkers on day 1—not that @NYCMayor would have followed it himself. The rules never apply to him. Why else would he think it’s okay to say it’s time to arrest large groups of Jews?
Tone deaf, insensitive and counterproductive. https://t.co/3SVQRt6IDa
— Max Rose (@MaxRose4NY) April 29, 2020
I’m trying to understand what the williamsburgers were thinking? The entire world is locked down, besides willy?
I for one say the mayor did nothing wrong. Before Pesach there was a levaya in Boro Park to which a large crowd came. A not frum acquaintance asked me about it. I defended them by saying in our community there is no social media most of the people came on their own they weren’t looking to break laws.” But what can I answer my not frum acquaintance now two weeks after Pesach. Why in the world was this levaya held in the first place? Was there a levaya for the novominsker Rebbe and other gedolim. For good or for bad the mayor knows our community. He knows about the shuls that are open. He knows about weddings that were held before Pesach. I don’t care that there were people in a park. We have to do whats right and always be cognizant that we do stand out. The mayor was 100% correct for calling us out
Didn’t VIN report two thousand people were paying respects at the funeral? Now someone is saying there were only one hundred. Which is it?
The top photo here surely shows well more than a hundred people at the funeral.
Baila (probably from Williamsburg), I will tell you what Willamsburgers were thinking: that they lost a towering leader, a man with whom many many people experienced open miracles and yeshuos. Most of the people in the crowd were wearing masks and there was plenty of space between people until the NYPD showed up and began pushing everyone together like Nazis. But why would you believe me over all the self-hating Jews and anti-Semites?
Mayor de Blasio warning the “Jewish community” after yesterday’s (inexcusable) funeral gathering in Brooklyn, that violations of social distancing rules will not be tolerated, is the equivalent of warning the “Muslim community” that terrorism in the name of Islam will not be tolerated. The “Jewish community” did not violate the social distancing rules at the funeral. Certain Hasidic Jews living in Williamsburg did. And the vast majority of Jews are horrified by it, and long before the Mayor opened his mouth have openly denounced other Jews who don’t take social distancing seriously. So arrest who you want Mr. Mayor but please don’t slander an entire religious group.
Is that the best David Greenfield can say? Vague empty statement? Refuses to criticize this Mayor. Trying to have it both ways. What a sleazy politician. He clearly wants to get back into politics as a democrat and wants them to just love him.
Unfortunately when one group of us act with out thinking we all suffed
Hizonor has proven to be a professional hypocrite and an incompetent mayor. We lack payback options. I do hope that his fall from power is accompanied by major disgrace, and no one who supports this evil man ever serve in public office.
Rob,
What’s with the Nazi’s?
Have pity on the mayor
He has limited intelligence and ability
How did he get this job?
Trump 2020
Now more than ever.
We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid