There was chaos in Boro Park on Thursday afternoon, as the NYPD worked to disperse a crowd that gathered for a Levaya.
An NYPD source tells YWN that police were told that a vehicle carrying an Aron (coffin) would be passing by a home on 43 Street near 13th Avenue to recite Tehillim and hold a short Levaya, and took action ahead of time.
Not taking any chances, the top brass of the NYPD arrived – including the Chief of Patrol and at least one other 3 star chief as well as the Chiefs of Brooklyn South.
The NYPD allowed family only to be on the block, but people did not listen to authorities. It prompted the police police to order the vehicle carrying the Aron to leave, prompting a wild scene that was caught on video and immediately went viral.
One person was arrested and released. He was given a “Type C Summons”.
Thursday’s Levaya took place just two days after the Levaya in Williamsburg which has since turned into a national story, and has prompted a massive NYPD crackdown in Williamsburg. Around 100 summonses were issued in Williamsburg on Thursday for not keeping with social distancing and not wearing masks in public.
Meanwhile in Lakewood, a tragic number of SIXTY Levayos were held since the COVID-19 outbreak began. Nearly all were held with 10-15 people in attendance, as the Chevra Kaddisha of Lakewood worked closely with Police and families to ensure all rules were followed.. This included the Levayos of Gedolim and Rabbonim. The Levaya of the Novamimsker Rebbe ZATZAL was held in Boro Park just before Pesach and was attended by a dozen family members. It would of had close to 100K if it would have not been held during COVID-19.
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11 Responses
You can not break the law or act out of line and then cry anti-semitism. Because if anyone has been reading goyish news all of the comments are discussing how chasidim think they are sovereign citizens. If you cause yourself to be hated you have no one to blame but yourself. Such a chillul hashem. all of this. It could have been a kiddush hashem to show respect. It isnt a discussion about showing the law or other things respect its about being something that the Torah wants you to be. This makes people think that this is the society god wants and become revolted.
Are you in good connection with the NYPD?
Why don’t you post the picture where the 2 police officers hugging each other
What do these folk not understand?
It should be clear now to any Bar Daas that there is absolutely no safe way to have a large crowd.
Just the chance of things getting out of order & leading to this type of chaos is reason enough to nix any plans of a “crowd with social distancing guidelines”.
Hashem Yerachem
There was a total of 5 family members & 1 Rav by my fathers levaya 1 month ago.
This is unnecessary and inexcusable!
Wearing a mask as a beard cover is no bnefit to anyone.
Who are the idiots making these arrangements? After the other recent episodes of crowds unwilling to follow the protocols, these disgusting displays are an insult to the niftar, putting aside the critical public health risks they pose for the participants and nearby residents. Ninety percent of the tzibur has gotten the message and as several posters above have noted, they have done so at great personal pain and anguish at a time of their personal tragedies and losses. . Its these 10 percenters who have become the public face on the national media of frum yidden putting themselves above the law.
At this point there’s no doubt that these people are not acting out of ignorance or lack of information. The videos are clear evidence that their actions are wilful and spite filled, without regard for public health or safety. And they’re generating anti-Semitism to boot. Pure chillul hashem.
Are they taking their terrible behavioral cues from a leader or leaders among them? The NYPD needs to identify and isolate whoever is encouraging their repugnant, anti-social behavior.
All the uptight little neurotics with their outrage posting their usual betrayal of their brothers posting here. We have to get back to life as normal. It’s enough with the police state. I’m glad these guys have the guts to defy the police.
This is the definition of an absolute chilul Hashem. The virus kills! The rules are set for the safety of our community. We can’t beg Hashem to help us if we bemazid walk directly into harms way. Gut Shabbos
I really don’t understand the logic. The entire purpose of attending a Levaya is Kavod Hames… everything I saw here and 2 days ago in Williamsburg is Bizayon Hames… and a chillul Hashem that only intensifies Sinas Yisrael. Kleina Kep
One comment here just used a term I heard in the Gemara I was learning, and that’s Bar Da’as. These people have a Bar Da’as but have a different approach to Derech Eretz.
I think that other readers should realize that when you have a culture with a separate language, you have more different attitudes. Therefor, the derech eretz is different. Of course, you can still be a Jew with a strong Jewish identity while speaking the language of the land (in this case, English), but there are more differences because they don’t.
However, within Frum culture, Khassidish culture is not as good in Derech Eretz as the Litvish/Yeshivish culture is. The article praised how many Rabbunim from the Yeshivish (i.e. Litvish) world didn’t have the Levaya issue since the heavier quarantine rules broke out.