Hundreds of members of the Borough Park Orthodox community took to the streets Tuesday night defying orders to disperse and lighting a fire in protest of new state-mandated restrictions imposed on area synagogues, schools and non-essential businesses over a COVID-19 surge. One large crowd huddled closely together at the corner of 50th Street and 15th avenue at about 9 p.m. as community activist Heshy Tischler ripped Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio over the order that shuts down schools completely and limits houses of worship to 10 people in certain COVID-19 hot spots. Much of Borough Park is subject to those measures – the most restrictive – which also shutters non-essential businesses.

The Following statement was provided to YWN following the decision by NY Governor Cuomo to place limitations on Shuls in COVID hotspots: Governor Cuomo’s surprise mass closure announcement today, and limit of 10 individuals per house of worship in “red zones,” is appalling to all people of religion and good faith. We have been down this path before, when religious practices were targeted for special treatment by the Governor’s Executive Order in May. A suit was filed challenging the Governor’s Order then (in which Agudath Israel filed an amicus brief), and the court found it unconstitutional. Repeating unconstitutional behavior does not make it lawful.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a three-tiered system for new rules and restrictions in New York’s high-risk cluster zones and surrounding areas. The Cluster Action Initiative applies to all of Brooklyn as well as cluster parts of Queens, Rockland, Orange, Nassau and Binghamton. The rules — including shutting down some nonessential businesses — can go into effect as soon as Wednesday but no later than Friday and will be in effect for 14 days when the state will then reevaluate. He said a cluster would not be identified by the zip code; it would be by the number of cases in the region. The rules are broken down by three colors: Red is the cluster center. Orange is the surrounding area — a ring around the center. Yellow is a ring around the orange ring — the precautionary area.

Over 100 IDF soldiers at the Kfir Brigade’s training base have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a Channel 13 News report on Tuesday. Over 400 soldiers are currently quarantined on the base and it is expected that more soldiers will test positive for the virus in the coming days in what seems to be the largest outbreak on an IDF base yet. Widespread outbreaks should not be occurring in IDF platoons if the capsule method is stringently followed, IDF sources said. In August, several IDF officers at a training academy were disciplined due to an outbreak on the base, seemingly caused by a violation of the health regulations put into place in order to avoid such outbreaks.

According to Health Ministry data on Tuesday morning, 5,647 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in the previous 24 hours, comprising about a 10.8% percentage of all coronavirus tests carried out. There are currently 63,305 active virus cases, with 875 seriously ill patients, of whom 220 are ventilated. Thirty-eight more deaths were recorded since Monday morning, raising the death toll to 1,757. Israel will most likely remain in lockdown for another two weeks, until October 18, media reports said following a meeting of the coronavirus cabinet on Monday evening. However, no final decision will be made until next Monday, after Sukkos is over. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The following is an unedited national story on the AP wire: Amid a new surge of COVID-19 in New York’s Orthodox Jewish communities, many members are reviving health measures that some had abandoned over the summer — social distancing, wearing masks. For many, there’s also a return of anger: They feel the city is singling them out for criticism. The latest blow: an order Monday from Gov. Andrew Cuomo temporarily closing public and private schools in several areas with large Orthodox populations. It will take effect Tuesday. “People are very turned off and very burned out,” said Yosef Hershkop, a Hasidic Jew from Brooklyn who works for a chain of urgent-care centers.

In the attached video and photos we seen the gadol HaDor, Hagaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky learning in his Sukkah. As YWN has been reporting, HaRav Kanievsky tested positive for COVID-19 on Erev Sukkos. Bichasdei Hashem, he is feeling ok. Please continue to say Tehillim for שמריהו יוסף חיים בן פעשא מרים. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
The post VIDEO & PHOTOS: HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Learning In His Sukkah Today appeared first on The Yeshiva World.

Following the Birchas Kohanim ceremony at the Kosel on Monday morning with the participation of only 20 people, the Kosel Rav, Reb Shmuel Rabinowitz, recited a Mi Shebeirach for the refuah sheleimah of President Donald Trump. As YWN reported on Sunday, Hagaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein paskened that Jews are obligated to daven for the refuah shleimah of President Trump due to the obligation of Hakaras HaTov (gratitude). Rabbi Zilberstein added that we should daven for Trump using his name and the name of his father, Donald John ben Fred Trump, according to the opinion of the Maharshal. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Public and private schools in New York City hotspot ZIP codes will switch to all-remote learning Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday, taking a more immediate approach to curb the city’s biggest virus problem in months than the one the mayor had proposed a day earlier. Mayor Bill de Blasio had suggested shuttering schools in nine hotspot ZIP codes in Brooklyn and Queens as part of a larger plan to stop the spread “before it gets any worse.” He also called for a full reinstatement of COVID restrictions in those areas, including the re-closure of non-essential businesses and indoor dining. While de Blasio did not call for the shuttering of religious institutions, Cuomo put houses of worship on notice.

The family members of Hagaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky stated on Motzei Shabbos that the Rav has continued to feel well, Baruch Hashem, and is continuing his sidrei limmud as usual in the sukkah. HaRav Chaim was diagnosed with the coronavirus on Thursday evening and is under close medical supervision at home. The photographer Shuki Lehrer, who had the coronavirus about a month and a half ago and is currently immune, was allowed into the Sukkah of HaRav Chaim on Motzei Shabbos/Yom Tov, where he photographed the Gadol washing mayim acharonim for melave malke and learning in the Sukkah. HaRav Chaim was asked on Friday what people could do for the sake of the Rav’s refuah and he requested that men should complete Masechtas Brachos and both men and women recite ten pirkei Tehillim.