Israelis may be limited to spending High Holidays with nuclear family — report

Unnamed Health Ministry official quoted by newspaper as saying ‘there will be no alternative’ to a lockdown similar to Passover closure

By JTA 14 July 2020, 11:54 pm

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Border Police officers at a roadblock as ultra-Orthodox Jews gather for a protest against a lockdown in their neighborhood due to a coronavirus outbreak, in Jerusalem, on July 13, 2020 (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

The Health Ministry is reportedly considering ordering Israelis to limit their Rosh Hashanah celebrations to only their nuclear families.

The order would come with a total lockdown of cities for the High Holidays, a repeat of the Passover closure policy, the Israel Hayom daily reported Tuesday, citing unnamed senior Health Ministry officials.

“The prevailing assessment right now is that there will be no alternative other than to issue orders to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with the nuclear family alone,” an official was quoted as saying.

The decision will be based on the spread of the coronavirus and information and warnings from other countries and the World Health Organization, according to the report.

Holiday celebrations can include dozens of relatives and range from elderly grandparents and others at high risk of contracting the coronavirus to young children, who are considered super-spreaders of the virus.