Today's focus on containing the current coronavirus outbreak is based on social isolation. This is complicated by the collateral damage it causes to our emotional support systems and our economy. The ultimate success of social distancing depends on the buy-in of the community and this is a function of the degree to which people are convinced that it is necessary despite its disruptive effects.
The Haredi community both in Israel and the Diaspora is suffering from a disproportionate incidence of infection and death due to coronavirus. This has caused much pain in this community and has become yet another source of tension between the Haredi world and broader society. Measures such as the lockdown of some Haredi neighborhoods in Israel followed by protests have made this situation all the more divisive.
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Beyond any explanations for this problem, the current conversation must focus on why portions of the Haredi world are reluctant to embrace government-prescribed social distancing and what can be done to change this situation. Recent polls reporting a great deal of distrust and skepticism between the Haredi public and healthcare authorities offer a hint of a solution.
In the short-term, current steps taken by the home front command to better communicate with the Haredi community are commendable. Soldiers dispatched to such communities are being taught key phrases in Yiddish and customized explanatory materials ranging from informational flyers to comic books are being created. It is crucial to provide this community with communication whose content and style fit their cultural and religious norms. These efforts must continue even beyond the current crisis.
Secondly, we can take advantage of Israel's shortage of healthcare personnel. Training Haredim as healthcare workers would help relieve this shortage and likely improve the overall connection to the healthcare establishment.
Women lead the Haredi community participation in the workforce. The employment rate among Haredi Girls High School Beit Yaakov graduates is similar to that of broader Israeli society (approximately 80%). The current push to get these women into careers in hi-tech and computers is praiseworthy, but it can continue alongside enhancing their access to healthcare professions. Nurses, therapists, and pharmacists are all on the frontlines of healthcare delivery. This would require expanding the training options in which they are comfortable and perhaps making some accommodations for their lifestyle.
At the Jerusalem College of Technology, we've seen the success of such an initiative. Our nursing programs for men and women tap into in the instinctive caring and kindness of the Haredi community. They do this while engaged in an intensive four-year curriculum in math and science. Upon graduation, they unhesitatingly serve the general population with the highest level of professionalism.
During the current crisis, our students were trained in emergency respiratory care so they can help treat COVID-19 patients should hospitals become overwhelmed. Additionally, our "TakeAction" program launched by the LevTech Entrepreneurship Center is partnering with Magen David Adom to better equip ambulances both in technology and volunteer assistance.
Ultimately, the expanded presence of health care professionals within the Haredi community would strengthen the connection to the healthcare system and enhance the acceptance of its directives.
In the long term, appreciating the challenges of the epidemiology of spreading viruses requires some familiarity with the underlying principles of biological-medical science. Despite the ongoing battle over teaching core curriculum (math, science, English, citizenship) in Haredi schools, we can work toward a compromise that, at a minimum, integrates basic science concepts into the Haredi school curriculum. Focusing on the practical and avoiding religiously contentious issues – evolution, the age of the earth – won't lessen the students' ability to connect with scientific concepts and thinking. A shift in this awareness would also create a shared language that would promote other aspects of Haredi integration.
We must take into account the cultural and religious sensitivities of Haredim while not shirking our responsibility for the common good. Neither abrasive polemics nor coercion will work. If handled properly, strengthening the connection of the Haredi community to society at large will be a win-win for us all.
