We, at the Jewish Voice are concerned that one of our most precious rights, the right of religious freedom, to pray as we see fit, the right to gather together and pray, took a hit during this Chinese virus pandemic. Governors, mayors and other community leaders, in an attempt to conquer this disease ordered closed those businesses they deemed “non-essential” to the needs of their constituents. Among those types labeled “essential” and permitted to remain open were, strangely enough, abortion killing clinics, liquor stores, florists and marijuana shops.
Yet, not for profit houses of worship, where people gather peacefully to pray, were targeted by these all-wise rulers as, “non-essential.” Funerals of loved ones were closed to families. They were “Zoomed” or held on line. A bottle of booze or an ounce of drugs were OK but to stand 6 feet apart with face masks to see off a Mom or Dad, made one subject to arrest. And by the way, NYC Mayor DeBlasio, while threatening to arrest Jews for attending the funeral of one of their beloved rabbis, released thousands of prisoners from his jails to keep them disease free. Go figure that one out.
But, this past Friday, President Trump announced that all houses of worship would be considered “essential services” and urged all governors to “do the right thing and reopen them immediately” with the added threat that he would override them if they didn’t. Many churches around the country have already filed legal challenges to the virus closures. Rightfully so, since restaurants, bars and malls, where the congestion and close physical mingling and movement among people is far more problematic and unhealthy than law abiding, rule following, worshipers sitting masked and quietly in one place, 6 feet apart.
But there are mayors such as Chicago’s Lori Lightfoot who began fining churches for holding services in violation of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s statewide stay at home order. We’ll see what happens this Sunday. We did sadly pick up on Rabbi Jack Moline’s opposition to the re-opening of houses of worship. He’s the President of the Interfaith Alliance, a far-Left group of religious leaders who advocates for keeping these institutions closed for the far future until a cure for this particular virus is found.
We see this as unfair and perhaps as an attack on the practice of religion in this country. If close quartered, touchy businesses such as barber shops, hair and nail salons and gyms are permitted to be safely opened, why can’t Rabbi Moline support religious institutions from doing the same? As we see it, if synagogues and churches adhere to the very strict rules of hygiene, keeping the correct social distance, washing hands and such, as other enterprises, what’s the difference? Let them be open, let them pray and let them be safe and well!
