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Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews attended the funeral of a prominent rabbi on Thursday, cramming together in Jerusalem in defiance of novel coronavirus precautions.
Rabbi Aharon David Hadash, a spiritual leader of the Mir Yeshiva ultra-Orthodox group, died earlier Thursday, aged 90, after being hospitalized from complications due to Covid-19.
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Thousands of ultra-Orthodox men attend the funeral of Rabbi Aharon David Hadash, the spiritual leader of the Mir Yeshiva, in Jerusalem
(Photo: AFP)
The group of mourners moved together in a large procession from the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim to a cemetery on the outskirts of the city.
While the police were on hand for the outdoor proceedings, handing out masks to those who did have their own, social distancing measures were reportedly not enforced.
Ensuring compliance with coronavirus precautions among Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jews, or Haredim, has been a challenge throughout the pandemic.
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Ultra-orthodox Jewish men mourn during the funeral of Rabbi Aharon David Hadash
(Photo: AFP)
Different Haredi groups have however responded differently to health ministry guidelines.
The Mir Yeshiva is part of the Lithuanian Haredi group, whose leaders have voiced support for coronavirus protection measures but also rejected them at times, especially regarding the closure of religious schools, or yeshivot.
The Mir Yeshiva get their name from a yeshiva established in 1815 in the town of Mir, in modern-day Belarus.
The Yeshiva was a key hub for Torah study in Europe until the outbreak of World War II, according to Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.
Some rabbis and students from Mir Yeshiva survived the war by fleeing to Shanghai.
After the war, Mir Yeshiva established a presence in Brooklyn, New York, and in Jerusalem.