NEW YORK (VINnews) — The NY Times is reporting that New York City will mandate all employees at yeshivos and other private schools to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
According to the mandate, Rabbeim, faculty, teachers, and other staff members will have to show proof they received the first dose of a vaccine by Dec. 20.
The guidance, announced Thursday, is expected to affect hundreds of schools and 56,000 employees. The mandate does not appear to affect students.
There is expected to be pushback from Yeshivos, and frum organizations and institutions will likely file a lawsuit to fight the mandate.
In a statement, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “We’re doing everything in our power to protect our students and school staff, and a mandate for nonpublic school employees will help keep our school communities and youngest New Yorkers safe.”
Employees at public schools were already required to get vaccinated, and more than 95 percent of the Department of Education’s employees have done so. Students are not required to be vaccinated. The city also requires proof of vaccination for indoor dining, entertainment and gyms.
In its report, the Times, which is known to be biased, went out of its way to bash the frum communities, claiming that the level of vaccination in those areas are lower than the rest of the city.
The paper also implied that Mayor de Blasio is beholden to frum communities, saying: “Mayor de Blasio has longstanding political ties to the ultra-Orthodox community and has faced criticism over his handling of issues including oversight of yeshivas and a circumcision ritual, metzitzah b’peh.”
Source: VosIzNeias