A (Brief) Follow Up from the Community Letter

•Click here to view Rabbi Dr Glatt's motzei Shabbos Sept 26 Zoomcast.

•Click here to read the original "Open Letter from the Community About Some Not-So-Gatt Updates."

•Click here for a follow-up statement by the authors of this Open Letter.

•Facebook poster of anti-Glatt letter asks mechilah.

We expected the letter to make the rounds but it went viral with a speed that surprised us. We appreciate all of the feedback, comments and criticisms. A lot of people expressed appreciation for our letter while others aggressively disagreed. Sadly, some merely dismissed us as anti-maskers trying to tell the community not to wear masks and to crowd into simchos and kiddushes. Nothing could be further from the truth. We would like to address and amend a few things quickly so here are some follow ups:

Why wasn't it signed?

The goal was to focus on the issues not who wrote it. Feel free to disagree with anything we wrote. We penned a letter with our observations and opinions. We aren't forcing anyone to do anything or to believe anything.

Are you against masks?

Chas V'shalom, no. We merely wanted to make sure that people realize that a mask is a tool, not a magic panacea. Leaving your house means accepting some level of risk. Everyone should mask and distance, but yelling at others to pull their mask up doesn't make you a tzaddik. Nor does blaming every uptick on people not wearing masks properly. It just fosters more machlokes and fighting in our community.

What were your main points, cliff-notes version?

• As long as the rest of daily life is open, schools need to be open and not demonized when they ARE following rules.
• Chinuch, Torah and Halacha are essential.
• The DOH and the government shouldn't have absolute power over us in the name of "public health"
• The community is too fractured. No more reporting on fellow Jews please! Let's aim for achdus
• Covid is one threat and it is a big one. But there are other threats to our community that should not be ignored or downplayed. We cannot paralyze everyone with fear and only consider "public health" when making policy.
• Our standards and the suggested policies for the elderly and vulnerable should not be the same as the protocols for young people, children, and people with recent antibodies.

Do you regret anything you wrote?

Of course. We apologize for any attacking language. Use of the term "cult", suggesting Rabbi Glatt is "pals with the DOH", and other language was too aggressive and we apologize.

Are you a fan of having unrestricted Kiddushes, simchos and other events with a complete disregard for spreading Covid?

Of course not. Our section on Kiddushes was admittedly too short and unclear. We do NOT condone having massive indoor weddings at this time nor should anyone need to cram into a kiddush for kugel. But this issue also needs to be discussed with delicacy. Young couples still need to get married, and Bar and Bat Mitzvah kids deserve a dignified celebration. Obviously these things should be done safely with medical counsel.

What have the responses been?

We have received dozens of emails supporting us and several criticizing all or parts of the letter. The letter was posted on social media and there are hundreds of comments on both "sides" of the issues.

Was it supposed to be all about Rabbi Glatt?

No. We apologize for how much we focused on him. His community updates have a lot of useful information of course, but there are some points we took issue with and some elements we felt deserved an analysis and opposing perspective. We appreciate all that he and the other Rabbanim, frontline healthcare workers and medical professionals have done for our community.

Final thoughts?

We end with a plea to our fellow friends and neighbors to please try to come together before Yom Kippur. Let's aim to raise each other up rather than tear each other down. We are all supposed to be on the same team, even if we look a little different or have different opinions.

Gmar Chasima Tova,

Concerned Members of the 5T Community