BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 16: A young man visiting from Brazil and wearing a protective face mask against the coronavirus checks his smartphone while walking across Alexanderplatz on March 16, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. Everyday life in Germany has become fundamentally altered as authorities tighten measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Public venues such as bars, clubs, museums, cinemas, schools, daycare centers and universities have closed. Many businesses are resorting to home office work for their employees. And travel across the border to most neighbouring countries is severely restricted. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Israeli Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef issued a statement on March 18 urging Jews to leave their phones turned on during Shabbos in case they are contacted about coronavirus test results and alerts.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the statement, which was released in Hebrew and sent to the Health Ministry, read: “There is no doubt that all those tested for coronavirus have to have a phone on during Shabbat so [the Health Ministry] will be able to update him on his results and tell him where to evacuate. Even those who did not get tested should leave his phone on, so he would be able to be briefed in case it is discovered that he was near a confirmed carrier.”
Jewish Telegraphic Agency Washington, D.C., bureau chief Ron Kampeas tweeted that such a move is “unusual,” noting that “Jewish security officials [in the United States] have run into a brick wall trying to convince Orthodox shuls to keep phones on to get alerts in case there’s an attack nearby.”
To get an idea of how unusual this is: Jewish security officials here have run into a brick wall trying to convince Orthodox shuls to keep phones on to get alerts in case there's an attack nearby https://t.co/lNrtRbCuUL
— Ron Kampeas (@kampeas) March 18, 2020
Pro-Israel activist Arsen Ostrovsky similarly noted that while Yosef’s statement is applicable only for coronavirus-related alerts, it’s still “unprecedented.”
🔴 Wow! #Israel’s Chief Rabbi has just given a ruling saying people can use cell phones on Shabbat (which is generally strictly prohibited) to receive notifications regarding #CoronaVirus developments and results. pic.twitter.com/2XvhdL3Q23
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) March 18, 2020
I certainly didn't imply they can use it to play Candy Crush! Thought was clear was only in reference to Corona related notifications. But regardless, certainly unprecedented!
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) March 18, 2020
Israel currently has 433 cases of coronavirus, although that number is expected to increase as testing becomes more available. Israeli Public Minster Gilad Erdan warned on March 17 that a national lockdown is “inevitable,” but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on March 18 that he likes the current social distancing measures for the time being.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.