Cuomo's Restrictions on Synagogues in Virus Hot Spots Can Go Forward

[Eugene]

Source: New York Times

A federal judge on Friday allowed Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to move forward with new restrictions on gatherings at synagogues and other houses of worships, finding that the rules did not violate the free exercise of religion for Orthodox Jews.

The ruling in federal court in Brooklyn came after Agudath Israel of America, a national Orthodox Jewish organization, sued Mr. Cuomo this week over his latest executive order detailing an array of new restrictions to address rising coronavirus cases in neighborhoods with large populations of Orthodox Jews.

After an emergency hearing on Friday, the judge declined to temporarily block Mr. Cuomo’s executive order ahead of three Jewish holidays over the weekend. She said she sympathized with the order’s impact on the Orthodox Jewish community, but rejected the argument that Mr. Cuomo had unconstitutionally targeted a religious minority.

“How can we ignore the compelling state interest in protecting the health and life of all New Yorkers?” said Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto of Federal District Court in Brooklyn.

-snip-

By Nicole Hong and Liam Stack
Oct. 9, 2020
Updated 6:12 p.m. ET


Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/09/nyregion/cuomo-synagogues.html

[elleng]

1. Right. "How can we ignore the compelling state interest in protecting

the health and life of all New Yorkers?”

[BigmanPigman]

2. Roman Catholics were also suing...

"Cuomo's office said Friday evening a federal judge denied an injunction to halt the state's restrictions on houses of worship in the state's red zones. Religious gatherings are limited to 25 percent capacity - 10 people maximum - in red zones. A prominent Orthodox Jewish organization based out of Queens and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn announced separate lawsuits Thursday to halt restrictions on religious gatherings put in place by the state of New York, just as a third day of protests over the new lockdown orders got underway in Brooklyn."

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyc-fines-of-up-to-15000-a-day-for-covid-rule-breakers-take-effect-friday/2660359/

[still_one]

3. It is disgusting that many orthodox religious groups of any denomination put the health and well

being of everyone over their own selfish interests

Seeing pictures of the protests going on, and the trump signs I see the demonstrators carrying, show just how stupid and self destructive these jackasses are

Fortunately most non-orthodox religious denominations realize what a danger.trump and his administration are

They had an interview of a Jewish reporter on CNN who was attacked by this mob of protesters