Police Arrest Lakewood Rabbi Who Claimed COVID-19 Restrictions Are Unconstitutional

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LAKEWOOD (VINnews) — A few days ago Rabbi Yisrael Knopfler of Lakewood, N.J. joined a lawsuit presented by a Catholic priest, Kevin Robinson of the St. Anthony church in North Caldwell against New Jersey governer Phil Murphy. The two claimed that the state’s prohibition against religious services during the coronavirus pandemic violates the U.S. constitution.

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Last night, police arrived at the rabbi’s home and observed him violating the law against gatherings.  After a warning, police arrested him when he refused to comply. The rabbi allegedly assaulted and officer as well as making a bonfire with more than 30 participants in contravention of laws against gatherings. Bystanders protested the  arrest, calling the policemen “Nazis” and “Gestapo.”

In the suit, the rabbi and priest claimed that social distancing regulations can be maintained even inside houses of worship just as businesses are maintaining them and in some cases received permission from the governor to open.

Murphy issued the directive on 21st of March, prohibiting gatherings with some exceptions but he did not include religious services among the exceptions.


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98 Comments
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Missed
Missed
3 years ago

Mamesh a Gigantic Kiddush HaShem AND it was in front of 10 people which tells us that he goes STRAIGHT into Gan Eden with no Din V’cheshbon at all.
The fact the the people watching call the police Gestapo and Natzis is even greater then Knopfler’s Kiddush HaShem and they may just have gained Gan Eden on this world.
Wish I was there to join them….

Joe miller
Joe miller
3 years ago

If the Rabbi already brought a lawsuit against the mayor (which I agree with )why didn’t he just wait for the outcome before violating whatever rule was in place?I think all this just creates more hate against the Jewish people And in the long run will be bigger problems

Devorah
Devorah
3 years ago

Stop being so biased! They didn’t arrest the priest for although he disagrees with gov Murphy and filed a law suit, he does not go against the law and hold services!
If Knopfler was told to stop (there was police involvement Pesach that told him to stop), he should’ve listened!
Someone who doesn’t listen to authority, deserves to be arrested!!!

Batsheva
Batsheva
3 years ago

This is a lie…neighbors called for noice complaints and then 2 cops came ans saw a bomb fire (which is illegal) they asked nicely to shut it down and he was yelling and pushing them away he was telling everyone to continue the dancing and music to make the police mad. They didn’t arrest him because of the lawsuit he was refusing to listen to the cops and got aggressive. One had nothing to do with the other!!

Jake
Jake
3 years ago

They called US police Nazis?! Unbelievable and disgusting. Nazis didn’t arrest Jews for violating plague restrictions, they killed and burned them. Do these idiots not know the difference?

Dov Ber
Dov Ber
3 years ago

Is this called Lakewood’s DAAS TORAH????
I sure hope not. Waste of good real estate

chaim
chaim
3 years ago

Knopfler is fake news , He has sham beis isn in lakewood and the majority of lakewood wouldn’t mind if he left town never to return . He does not represent anyone in lakewood and the kids that were there and their parents should be shamed of themselves for allowing their kids to associate with Knopfler. He is a walking chillul hashem and this website should remove the word Rabbi from in front of his name . Just because he has a beard doesn’t make him a rabbi. A Rabbi is a leader and has followers and he is neither . Please update your title . None of the lakewood attorneys are willing to defend him for a reason .Good riddance Knopfler .

Oh brother....
Oh brother....
3 years ago

What on earth?

Can’t people follow rules?

Rabosai- Can’t we follow the rules of the medina we live in? For heaven sake- we walk with Yarmulkes and we cause such damage to the whole klall when we do foolish things like this.

Isaac Klein
Isaac Klein
3 years ago

Barn fires on private property are legal Nobody has a right to come on to private property without a warrant the police had no right to go onto his property And the rabbi was in his legal right to tell the police to go away they could have come back with a warrant if they wanted to he will be making a lot of money now lucky him

Food industry employee
Food industry employee
3 years ago

I’m very not surprised about this.

I have a company contact who is a minister. He told me one of his colleagues in South Jersey wanted to set up a socially distant service for his congregation and ran it through the police department. The local police department said it sounded good up until a day later they came back to the minister and begged him not to do it because they had instructions from on high to arrest people if necessary. The off the record reason given was because THE PEOPLE cannot make the governor look bad.

So I ask you, is it any surprise that the government is now going after this rabbi? He made the almighty Governor Murphy look bad. Not that Governor Murphy needs anything to help him look bad with this, he does a great job by himself. They told us they wanted a flat in the curve. Well, the curve is flattened and is on its way down. What’s your excuse now!?! It’s called CONTROL and nothing else.

Defenders of the constitution
Defenders of the constitution
3 years ago

Not sure which country you haters live in but this Rabbi has a constitutional right to provide rabbinical Instructions and teaching around a fire. It’s the freedom to practice religion and it’s in our constitution. The police have no right to step on private property unless they have a warrant or they believe that a crime is being committed. A rabbi providing pastoral duties in his back yard is totally legal.

Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Eichmann
3 years ago

Who massered on a fellow Yid?! Sick evil people who are roey ligihenom! When Yidden masser on fellow Yidden, it angers HKB”H! Mosrim have to be taken out. I heap curses and eyen hora’s on mosrim. Same thing for the neighbor who snitched on Gideone Bush leading to his direct murder by the NYPD.

Lessor
Lessor
3 years ago

The worst is the completely idiotic remarks made by the heimishe bystanders to the police!!! What morons!!

YYK
YYK
3 years ago

Its a fact, that authorities around the world are being stricter on shuls then on other institutions. It may be hard for ” self questioning jews” to be honest ( I think they are scared of authority) and protest, instead they may be mouthing unfair criticism (anger) by not being able to accept there may be other opinions in this issue that may be valid, there is almost not one element in the whole of this ccp virus that has not been the subject of disagreements by experts ( by the way, politicians are not experts they are politicians ie salesman with an agenda)

Tipp
Tipp
3 years ago

Open NJ. This virus is being weaponized to control

Phineas
Phineas
3 years ago

No matter who is in the right, you don’t tangle with cops. You can go to their superiors, to the news or to court afterward but will solve nothing by giving them problems at the scene. Just asking for trouble. They aren’t going to back off because you shout at them, just going to get more defensive and ready to administer pain.

REX Tillerson Said
REX Tillerson Said
3 years ago

Suddenly frum Yidden who hate our ‘goyesha government’ are fighting for Constitutional rights? Try reading the PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION.

The real JJ
The real JJ
3 years ago

It’s a disgrace For Jewish people to behave this way especially a rabbi. Neither do I and neither should anyone else have respect for such person

Harry
Harry
3 years ago

I guess the youngsters shouting Nazis at the police must have spent time in Israel “learning” in Yeshiva.

Boroch
Boroch
3 years ago

The cops had a legal right to go onto private property, without a warrant, when they see a crime being perpetrated in their presence; that is the law in all 50 states and our five territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam). It was a chilul Hashem, and shanda, the way that this Rabbi acted, as well as the moronic crowd, who were yelling “Gestapo” and “Nazis”. The Rabbi was even yelling “Gestapo”. The cops used a lot of restraint. In Israel, the cops would not have been so gentle. These idiots don’t realize that the Lakewood community needs the protection and good will of the local cops. It is bad enough that those miscreants acted in a horrible manner; however, for them to actually have backers on this site, is astounding, and incredible.

Jake
Jake
3 years ago

Bunch of idiots, making it worse for the next Jew who gets pulled over in your town. What’s next his Pidyon Shevuim campaign??.

Sam gootman dlakewood
Sam gootman dlakewood
3 years ago

Some shuls are opening this week, only ages 13 until 50 no one with underlying issues or obesity allowed into shul

WHO
WHO
3 years ago

‘Knop, Knop’
‘WHO’s there‘
‘Yes, that’s the problem’

stating the obvious
stating the obvious
3 years ago

Interesting, this lawsuit was ongoing for 10 days, yet this is the first mention by Viosizneias. any special reason why?

Chaim
Chaim
3 years ago

Where were the police violent? I didn’t see that at all. HE refused to allow himself to be handcuffed, HE refused to go into the patrol car without a fight, HE held a bonfire with 30 people knowing it was against the law (whether or not it is constitutional remains to be seen), HE chose to ignore the police warnings and HE physically assaulted the police officer. Throughout all this, they were as gentle as they could be. Calling Lakewood police the Gestapo is like calling a parent who gives their struggling toddler a bath a rapist. Using terms loosely waters down the actual meaning of it and makes the person look extremely uneducated and silly.

שטריימאל
שטריימאל
3 years ago

הרב חולה נפש,לדעתי

Velval
Velval
3 years ago

Shuls should never be opened agean the whole ultra orthadox thing is the reason why the goyim hate us and is the biggest cous of ayva black hats lots of kids ECT….. BH the Lakewood rabonim r slowley caching on to it

Educated Boro parker
Educated Boro parker
3 years ago

Why don’t the Lakewood people drive over to Brooklyn. We had fires all over the place and nobody bothered us. At the daf yomi Siem they had governor Murphy there. They should of invited the President Donald Trump instead. DemocRATs are rats.

Rodney King
Rodney King
3 years ago

Can”t ….. Can’t ….we all get along?

Nachshon
Nachshon
3 years ago

Is not allowing people over 50 in shul age discrimination.? If they are potentially only hurting themselves and are willing to take the risk how can they be denied entrance

Billybob
Billybob
3 years ago

I can’t believe that in Lakewood some “people” have the absolute nerve and gall to use the term nazi in reference to our police department. Absolutely disgusting. They should go back to “learn” in Yerushalim and go sit in front of a bus with their Peleg buddies and make a Chillum Hashem there.
It seems that some in Lakewood have forgotten 2 basic concepts in Halacha.
1. Dina D’malchusecha Dina
2. Derech Eretz Kudma L’Torah
When the police are enforcing a lawful order or responding to a complaint (especially a clearly visible outdoor bonfire, which is 100% illegal) they do not need to be harassed and fought with. If you fight with a police officer while in the performance of his duties, you get what you deserve. Shameful and disgusting behavior to be seem in Lakewood.

David
David
3 years ago

Rabbi Knopfler came to Lakewood and Bais Din Vaad Hadayonim made it their Business to try to put him out of Business..in the end Rabb Knopfler Bais Din is Thriving while Bais Din Vaad Hadayonim barely exists on Pape

Chillul hashem
Chillul hashem
3 years ago

People have lost all credibility when they call police nazi’s and behave no better then the goyim if you want to bring a lawsuit fine but please respect the law until then dina demalchusa dina stop making a chillul hashem we are in galus we are yidden we are held to a higher standard

Jihad
Jihad
3 years ago

not really sure why people would call officers that come to protect you Nazis the Nazis that I have read about bad not come to protect your health. besides in general it’s a good idea to do things that is productive for your agends and not to do things that is counterproductive

Henry Schwartz
Henry Schwartz
3 years ago

this whole Lakewood, so called IR HATORA, is a piece of fraud…they are a bunch of low lifes, torturing their wives to go to work, and they SIT AND LEARN!!!!! its all BS!!!! lazy no good BUMS!!! that’s what they are….

Yossie R.
Yossie R.
3 years ago

What a chilull Hashem. You would think they would learn and listen after all the Yeshivish people who died from Corona virus. Stupid stupid people !

David
David
3 years ago

Before Rabbi Knopfler Came to Lakewood .Mesira was very Rampant in Lakewood
Because Vaad Hadayonim wa inept they would encourage everyone to go to the courts and police and sherrifs to resolve all their cases with fellow Jews .Rabbi Knopfler came to Lakewood and put an end to all that .

OyVey
OyVey
3 years ago

All this hyperbole would perhaps have a measure of, if Shtark litvish would learn to spell or at best spell check.
Bon fire as opposed to. bomb fire.Mamash minhooamarrzzeem. Chaval

stating the obvious
stating the obvious
3 years ago

Does not look too good for Gov. Murphy, this is the 4th federal decision against this:

A federal judge in North Carolina on Saturday sided with conservative Christian leaders and blocked the enforcement of restrictions that Gov. Roy Cooper ordered affecting indoor religious services during the coronavirus pandemic.
The order from Judge James C. Dever III came days after two Baptist churches, a minister and a Christian revival group filed a federal lawsuit seeking to immediately block enforcement of rules covering religious services within the Democratic governor’s executive orders. Dever agreed with the plaintiffs, who argued that the limits violate their rights to worship freely and treat churches differently from retailers and other secular activities.

Northlanders
Northlanders
3 years ago

I support the law suit and the action of Rabbi Knopfler 100%
It takes guts and true conviction to stand up to kitted out, armed law enforcement.
I hope more Torah leaders challenge the crackdown on religious gatherings in whatever way the deem fit.