Messages In Jewish New York City School Parent Chats Advise Against COVID Testing To Prevent Shutdowns

109
WhatsApp messages sent to parents of Jewish day school students warned them not to have their children tested for COVID to prevent school shutdowns by the New York City Department of Health. (Screenshot from Whatsapp)

NEW YORK (JTA) – Parents of students attending Jewish schools in New York City are being encouraged not to have their children tested for COVID-19 to prevent the schools from being shut down.

Join our WhatsApp group

Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


On Thursday, this message made the rounds on WhatsApp, a popular messaging platform in Orthodox communities:

“DO NOT test your child for covid,” the message began. “The city has released new guidelines that mandate CLOSURE of an ENTIRE SCHOOL if there are two positive tests in the school.”

It went on to encourage parents to obscure suspected COVID-19 infections among their children.

“If your child is sick please keep them home, and indicate that they have a stomach ache or other symptoms not consistent with covid,” it said. “The administration’s hands are tied because of health department guidelines so it is up to the parents to make sure our school remains open. Please pass the word along. DO NOT TEST YOUR CHILD FOR COVID.”

The message comes as COVID-19 cases are on the rise in many Orthodox Jewish communities and flies in the face of public health messaging from doctors, the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Health to test, isolate and trace contacts of confirmed cases to slow the spread. It was not immediately clear who wrote the original message.

The rising case numbers are causing Jewish schools to close or quarantine entire classrooms or grades due to positive COVID tests or exposures.

One large yeshiva in Queens, Darchei Torah, was shut down by the health department last week after at least 13 students tested positive. Magen David, an elementary school in Brooklyn, was instructed by the health department to close Tuesday night and plans to reopen after Sukkot, a Jewish holiday that ends Oct. 11, according to The New York Jewish Week.

Torah Academy for Girls, a girls’ high school in Queens, was shut down Wednesday night by the health department and is set to remain closed through the end of Sukkot. Several classes at the school appeared to have already been quarantined, according to a note from the school published by 5 Towns Central.

The closures could form the battleground for another war between Orthodox lawmakers and city officials over the pandemic’s handling by Orthodox communities. Previous battles have included playgrounds, which were closed for months, and overnight camps, which were not permitted to open in New York state this year.

Chaim Deutsch, a New York City councilman representing Midwood, one of the six Orthodox neighborhoods comprising 20% of new COVID cases in New York City, questioned the new school closures in a tweet Thursday.

“I’ve been receiving reports that several private schools have been ordered by the Dept. of Health to close down, despite strict adherence to COVID guidelines,” he wrote. “I intend to take up this conversation with DOH and City Hall. I expect them to justify these forced closures.”

As schools across the country have reopened, with many holding classes over Zoom or with staggered schedules allowing in-person instruction just a few days a week, Jewish day schools have tried to resume in-person instruction this year, despite the pandemic. Many spent the summer making costly preparations and writing comprehensive reopening plans to minimize the chance of spread within the building that would cause the schools to close again.

But as cases have risen since mid-August in a number of Orthodox communities in New York City and surrounding areas, schools have struggled to stay open or keep all of their students in class. Among the seven schools in New Jersey’s Bergen County that have coordinated, five had already notified parents about positive cases or exposures in the schools.

Some schools are closing preemptively, recognizing that rising cases in the community are likely to creep into their classrooms. In nearby Nassau County on Long Island, Rambam Mesivta, a boys’ high school, announced that it would close for two weeks after Sukkot in an acknowledgement that socializing without masks and distancing would likely occur over the holiday, potentially leading to new COVID cases.

“People, by nature, are social and we think that the upcoming Chaggim [holidays] pose a greater risk than our current routine of someone chas v’shalom [God forbid], catching and later transmitting coronavirus,” administrators at the school wrote in a letter published by 5 Towns Central.


Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


Connect with VINnews

Join our WhatsApp group


109 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Yankel der ganif
Yankel der ganif
3 years ago

Rodfim. Do they think they are going to outsmart the malach hamuves. I have family that survived the Nazi’s but are now in critical condition since the rabbonim in Brooklyn don’t think it is important to comply with the recommendations from the health dept. How many shuls insisted on masks on Rosh Hashana? How many had social distancing on Rosh Hashana? Shacharis every day with masks? I don’t know of a single one.

This attitude is real redifa.

Dr. Fauciwitz
Dr. Fauciwitz
3 years ago

If Jewish parents are actually suggesting to NOT TEST, in the crazed hope to not identify Covid-infected children (and staff) so to keep dangerous infected yeshivot open- – well you might as well throw the 613 and Tananch out the window and join Pence’s evangelical xtian cult. Maybe Yidden should stop testing for prostate and breast cancer too!

Anonymous
Anonymous
3 years ago

I am super pro testing, life or death comes first, but I am highly disturbed by what is happening. Schools are strictly adhering to protocol (ex TAG), and do not have numbers requiring closure but are being forced to close?!
Talk about a way to decrease trust in the DOH!

Jer
Jer
3 years ago

Great. Now when the second wave hits us in early winter — this is still the first wave— everyone will blame the Jews for trying to obfuscate the actual numbers. That will bring a lot of unwanted attention that will be even worse than what happened in March — June.

come again?
come again?
3 years ago

Its all the same. dont test for Covid , lie and mislead everyone that covid is weaker. Deny people are dying. sacrifice your own family and put your grandparents or someone else’s at risk.God forbid if you are asked to be responsible and wear a mask.

CudahyKid
CudahyKid
3 years ago

I am very sad that anyone would ask people to not test their children for Corvid-19. What is more important, keeping a school open, or the possibility that Corvid-19 could spread throughout a community. The children could bring it home where older family members live.

Yossie
Yossie
3 years ago

Our people stand out for their non compliance with medical advice despite seeing a spike in Covid cases. Masks are essential in shul, in school and on crowded sidewalks. People apparently can have no symptoms and yet spread the virus to the vulnerable. A child can pick up the virus in school and spread it to vulnerable Bubby and Zaidy.
Do you realize that if after the many deaths we experienced after Purim, if all of us had abided by the guidelines on masks and social distancing the virus would have vanished from our communities before Rosh Hashonah.

Yidel
Yidel
3 years ago

Protests are ok but judaism not. Outvote every DemocRAT

Boro Park yid
Boro Park yid
3 years ago

What. does one have yo do with the other
It’s In Our yeshivahs and spreading again some caution and smarts would possibly stop it in our community
So heshy do you want to meet your makers with responsibility for causing sickness and possible death I got one don’t

Judith
Judith
3 years ago

There’s a lot of potential here for being called a moser Or mazik and getting ostracized for simply getting a Covid test .

nirc
nirc
3 years ago

Chicago just shut down all schools until at least after sukkos.

Educated Archy
Educated Archy
3 years ago

I agree and we should not comply or test oursleves. take precautions without tests.
Wear your mask and if Ill stay home and social distanced. Its not the test that matters its the precautions that matter. Lets be viglint but do not test.

Why not test? Because yeshivas are essential. In our community, we do not use zoom or internet and kids need in person learning for yiddishkeit. Form a non jewish perspective, kids need the development , mental connection, social connection etc.. When let home unstructured its dangerous. And yes when parents can’t work its bad for everyone too.

All you naysayers I bet were not stuck home with kids for 5 months and no zoom or structure. Just fighting with them to call hotlines all day, juggling phones, all while trying to work. This is impossible. The disease is not going away. Learn to live with this. Schools must stay open. My kids lives come first. I will do what I have to for their essential needs. I had enough of this already and cannot have them home for 5 months. Yes lie if we have to.