An Outbreak Spreads Fear: Of Measles, of Ultra-Orthodox Jews, of Anti-Semitism

An Outbreak Spreads Fear: Of Measles, of Ultra-Orthodox Jews, of Anti-Semitism - The New York Times

A measles outbreak in a New York suburb has sickened scores of people and stoked long-smoldering tensions between the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and the secular world at large.

SPRING VALLEY, N.Y. — Erica Wingate was working at a clothing store in town this week when a male customer, with the black hat and sidelocks typically worn by ultra-Orthodox Jews, started coughing.

Another shopper standing next to him suddenly dropped the item she had been holding and clutched her child. “She was buying something, and she just threw it down,” Ms. Wingate recalled. “She said, ‘Let’s go, let’s go! Jews don’t have shots!’”
========================================
The ultra-orthodox Jewish community is growing in rural Rockland County, NY. It appears that this community is against getting vaccinated for mumps & measles. See
' the Talmudic dictum of shev v’al taaseh adif8—“in some cases of doubt, better to sit and do nothing”—applies, and one shouldn’t vaccinate.' What Does Jewish Law Say About Vaccination? - Questions & Answers. This is creating tensions within the non-Jewish local communities & anxiety about what might happen in the future due to mounting concerns about public health - and a rise in anti-Semitism.

"Jews don't have shots!"

That's funny. Though I'm pretty sure there are many Jewish people who do have immunization and it's perhaps this specific sect that against immunization. It's not cause for anti-semitism at all, but if a group of people are against immunizations and there is an outbreak of immunization preventable diseases like Measles, I can see why some may start to become skittish.

Ikari said:

"Jews don't have shots!"

That's funny. Though I'm pretty sure there are many Jewish people who do have immunization and it's perhaps this specific sect that against immunization. It's not cause for anti-semitism at all, but if a group of people are against immunizations and there is an outbreak of immunization preventable diseases like Measles, I can see why some may start to become skittish.

Click to expand...

This situation brings to mind the 1930s movie Frankenstein where the villagers are setting out to storm the castle with torches & pitchforks. A lot of people act very negatively when they are caused to fear an unknown threat.

For some inexplicable reason, many religious people believe that God will command viruses not do do what He created them to do.

He will protect them. But if that belief doesn't pan out there is always a convenient escape clause ... Gods will.

Rogue Valley said:

For some inexplicable reason, many religious people believe that God will command viruses not do do what He created them to do.

He will protect them. But if that belief doesn't pan out there is always a convenient escape clause ... Gods will.

Click to expand...

Every day God (or Jesus) convinces us that He exists by doing absolutely nothing that we can see. But He has come up with some alarming new diseases like zika. Maybe just to keep busy.

Zika virus - Wikipedia

Ikari said:

"Jews don't have shots!"

That's funny. Though I'm pretty sure there are many Jewish people who do have immunization and it's perhaps this specific sect that against immunization. It's not cause for anti-semitism at all, but if a group of people are against immunizations and there is an outbreak of immunization preventable diseases like Measles, I can see why some may start to become skittish.

Click to expand...

It's a problem in California too, all the way on the other side of the country. Jewish schools have some of the highest rates for unvaccinated children. If this were some Christian sect putting the public at risk, you can bet they'd be a larger outcry, both in general, and on DP.

JacksinPA said:

This situation brings to mind the 1930s movie Frankenstein where the villagers are setting out to storm the castle with torches & pitchforks. A lot of people act very negatively when they are caused to fear an unknown threat.

Click to expand...

That's ridiculous. With all of the backlash against antivaxxers that exists, almost no one brings up the Jewish community. Pitchforks and torches? Those are reserved for Catholic boys in MAGA hats who dare smile in public.

Rogue Valley said:

For some inexplicable reason, many religious people believe that God will command viruses not do do what He created them to do.

He will protect them. But if that belief doesn't pan out there is always a convenient escape clause ... Gods will.

Click to expand...

Contrast this thread with the story of the Christian missionary who was killed by a tribe of indigenous people near India. That thread drew hundreds of comments, and universal scorn for the man, who only harmed himself, not others with his beliefs.