Orthodox Jewish community ignores Cuomo's orders on gatherings

An Orthodox Jewish community hosted a wedding on Monday night that appeared to flout coronavirus restrictions laid out by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Footage and reports of people attending were reported by several news outlets. On Tuesday, the Daily Mail published photos showing groups of people gathering outside of the event. Fox News hasn't confirmed the number of people who attended, but Yetev Lev Synagogue in Kiryas Joel near Monroe is known for being able to host thousands, according to the Mail.

The Daily Beast reported that the scene outside of the Orange County synagogue indicated that the community was proceeding with the wedding.

“A steady flow of bearded, black-hatted people going in and out of the enormous synagogue were all unmasked … Around the back, several workers were bringing pallets of bottled water into the space, along with stacks of banquet chairs and assorted staging materials, according to the Daily Beast. "A number of rolling metal racks for holding food trays sat nearby. By shortly after 5 p.m., the parking lot was full.”

A carpentry contractor told the Daily Beast no one inside was wearing a mask.

It's unclear how the state health department will proceed but it indicated to Fox News on Monday that it would intervene if the wedding broke social distancing guidelines.

"In the event that the ceremonies are not canceled, the order requires that social distancing and face covering protocols be enforced," Jill Montag, a New York Department of Health spokesperson, told Fox News. "With respect to the two receptions, it requires that ... (Read more)

Latest News