By now, there is near universal agreement that the initial response from many ultra-Orthodox leaders to the spread of coronavirus was an embarrassing and deadly failure.

While some wanted to chalk up early non-compliance with the social distancing guidelines among the ultra-Orthodox to just a handful of crazies — or claim that the leadership has done everything in their power to stop it — more recent incidents of non-compliance leave no doubt that the problem is real and systemic.

Up until a few hours before Pesach, hundreds — if not thousands — of our Haredi brethren still couldn’t comprehend that buying new shoes for Pesach was not important, since we weren’t supposed to leave the house much, and carried an unnecessary risk of contracting and spreading the virus.

Hundreds more are apparently unable to grasp that attending mass funerals for people who died from coronavirus is the height of stupidity, and will inevitably result in more funerals. Some, unbelievably, are still sneaking into mikvahs and minyonim.

None of these reckless Bochurim and adults have a television at home. Why? Because they understand with absolute certainty that owning a TV is forbidden by their rabbis — and, if caught, would result in serious consequences. But going out shopping for Yom Tov and attending funerals are not only seen by them as not forbidden, but perhaps admired as a “Machmir,” or going above and beyond in order to perform a mitzvah.

In fact, hours before Pesach, Kiryas Joel’s Satmar Rabbi Aron Teitelbaum, who himself tested positive, participated in group matzah-baking without a mask.

So when apologists point to a belated letter that rabbis have sent to constituents imploring them to stay home, it’s fairly meaningless — because it is clear that a large number of their constituents perceive a conflict with how they have been told to approach ritual practices vs. obeying secular authorities, including health authorities.

Many will make the right decision, but enough won’t — which puts the community itself in danger.

Others say that there is only a small percentage of community members who are flouting social distancing instructions. But for a problem to be systemic and life-threatening, every member of a community need not behave badly. Indeed, a minority is sufficient.

Think of any other systemic problem such as antisemitism. Would anyone argue that since most non-Jews are not antisemitic, it isn’t a systemic problem in society? To the contrary. Jewish leaders have urged New York state to require teaching of tolerance in all public schools to all children — all because of the actions of a few. If there’s a particularly problematic street where many accidents occur, it doesn’t mean that every person crossing that street is knocked down by a vehicle, but that a comparatively larger percentage of injuries and fatalities occur there, which merits intervention.

I was pleasantly surprised that some frum media outlets — which in the past might deny all problems in the community and instinctively be more concerned about protecting the community’s image — are now calling out those disobeying the government and rabbinic orders on social distancing. The stakes, and the consequences, were apparently too high and immediate this time.

But we must recognize that this disregard for the law did not begin with coronavirus. Some of those same news outlets that are rightly outraged by what is happening now have given other instances of lack of compliance a pass and have attacked those calling for guidelines to be followed.

Case in point: the hyperbolic battle over minimum education standards.

Just months ago Vos Is Neias, Yeshiva World News, Flatbush Jewish Journal, and others were portraying the prospect of New York state enforcing basic education guidelines as a plague.

Fast forward a few months, and we now face an actual plague, which requires us to swiftly comply with government regulations. These guidelines were a matter of life and death, but the standard was set: this was seen as a foreign imposition, and too many community members didn’t take it seriously.

While those papers deserve credit for doing the right thing now, they must consider the role they may have played in getting us to a place where distrust in public authorities could produce such a deadly outcome.

There needs to be a serious reckoning throughout the community. There are three major fronts where major improvements must take place:

1. Ensuring that every child receives a proper education, including in science, so they understand what germs, viruses, and infections are.

2. Holding leaders accountable when they resist common-sense guidelines and regulations.

3. Transforming our Haredi media ecosystem into one that is independent and neutral.

Only then will we be able to prevent another catastrophe such as this from ever happening again.

Naftuli Moster is the founder and executive director of Yaffed, an advocacy group dedicated to improving general education in ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic yeshivas. He holds a BA in psychology and a master’s degree in social work.

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