As the rabbi of a synagogue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, I have been keeping a close eye on pronouncements by the governor about the ever-changing New York state guidelines governing houses of worship. Since reopening in the summer, we have taken note of how quickly synagogues have had to adapt when they found themselves subject to occupancy limits of 10 or 25 people. When the US Supreme Court rendered a decision about the legality of these state-imposed restrictions, we followed it with great interest.
In
last week’s split decision, the court set aside the attendance limits
that Governor Cuomo had imposed on houses of worship in red and orange
zones. The decision does not immunize synagogues, mosques or churches
against government restrictions. It simply insists that those
restrictions must not be more severe than those placed on comparable
secular gatherings.
This ruling will be willfully misinterpreted by the Agudah crowd.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't "You can open up as much as you like because BLM is having large protests down the street so you too can gather". It's "Well, we can't stop idiots from gathering so we're not going to pick on you"
This will be another off-the-rails moment for us. Judaism isn't about rights. It's about responsibility. The Agudah may now have a right to open up shuls but it has a responsibility to keep them limited or shut until the pandemic is over. Guess which they'll choose?