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How Coronavirus is Upending Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Traditions

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Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews are estimated to have died in Brooklyn.

Here’s how the pandemic is changing their longstanding rituals.

How has technology played a role in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community’s response to the pandemic, particularly in terms of virtual religious services and education, and what are some of the potential limitations or downsides associated with relying on these alternative forms of communal worship?

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought widespread disruption across the world, and it has significant implications for religious communities as well. Among them, the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community has been particularly impacted. With its traditional practices of communal worship, study, and social interaction, the virus has proved to be a challenge to the community on a scale never seen before.

The Coronavirus outbreak has affected the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in unprecedented ways, forcing its members to grapple with new questions about how to keep their traditions alive while maintaining public health. Since the Orthodox Jews must hold regular services, including daily prayers, the religious authority has to restrict and redefine them due to coronavirus containment measures.

In Israel, the country with the largest number of Orthodox Jews, synagogue attendance has been curtailed dramatically, with congregations split into smaller groups and prayer media streamed online. Several communities have canceled traditional Purim celebrations and Passover dinners. Weddings are now limited to a maximum of 20 attendees with strict health protocols, while social gatherings are prohibited altogether. Community centers and micro-enterprises run by the ultra-Orthodox have been sealed up as a result of social distancing protocols. Some sects, such as the Gur and Belz Hasidim, have even closed down their yeshivas, places of study, to prevent infections.

The strict observance of modest dress codes and the separation of men and women define the Orthodox Jewish community’s lifestyle. This has made it difficult for members to embrace the recommended measures for preventing COVID-19 since handshaking is prohibited, and physical contact is discouraged. The wearing of masks has not been uniformly supported in communities where it is perceived negatively or viewed as a statement of fear that is inconsistent with faith. Despite these challenges, the community has taken steps to adopt preventive measures, including educating their members and providing health information in several languages.

The Orthodox Jewish community has been forced to balance the need to maintain its traditional practices in the face of coronavirus containment measures. Many have adapted by producing social media livestreams that provide religious instruction, prayer, and comfort. However, some Orthodox Jews believe the relocation to the online platform to be insufficient to guarantee the religious experience they get from attending services or studying in yeshivas. Others fear that the virus will seep into the community, given the limited access to technology, especially among the elderly.

The pandemic has thus forced ultra-Orthodox Jews to assess some of their most essential concepts regarding the balance between religiosity and modernity. This has led some members to reconsider how the community practices their faith and the way forward to preserve Jewish traditions and values. In essence, the virus seems to shift the ultra-Orthodox Jew’s way of life fundamentally.

In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, requiring fundamental changes to traditional practices. The pandemic has disrupted many orthodox practices such as synagogue attendance, communal study, and social interactions, leading to significant developments, including the increased use of social media to connect members. Nonetheless, the community may continue to grapple with necessary changes to remain faithful to God while also protecting their health in these uncertain times.