Yisroel R.

These days marks six years since life in the heimishe communities changed almost overnight. On Chuf-Gimmel Adar 2020, just days after Purim, the coronavirus began reaching heimishe neighborhoods across New York, and yeshivos, shuls, and mosdos across the heimishe communities were suddenly forced to close.

In the days after Purim, word started spreading that people who had attended gatherings or traveled were testing positive for the virus. At first it sounded like something far away, but very quickly it became clear that the situation was much closer to home. Rabbonim, askanim, and community leaders spent long hours on the phone with doctors and health officials trying to understand what was happening and what steps should be taken.

As the days went on, the situation began worsening quickly. Hospitals across New York started filling up with patients, including many from heimishe neighborhoods. Many families lost loved ones during those weeks, especially elderly people, and there was a great deal of uncertainty as people tried to understand how serious the virus was and what would happen next.

For many people, the idea of closing yeshivos and batei medrashim was almost impossible to imagine. For generations, Torah learning and daily minyanim continued through difficult times. The thought that the batei medrashim and the yeshivos would close, even for a short time, was something most people had never imagined before.

But as the number of cases in New York began rising quickly and hospitals started seeing more patients, the seriousness of the situation became clearer. Within days, the Rabbanim announced that shuls and mosdos would close for the time being and that shuls would limit minyanim and gatherings. This also came following a phone call from the White House direct to the Heimishe Rabbanim.

Even as everything was shutting down, the heimishe world kept on the learning and davening going as best as possible. Rabbonim continued giving shiurim over the phone, chadurim, girl schools, and yeshivos arranged learning through conference calls so the learning would not stop. In some chassidishe courts, the Rebbe even held tishen over the phone so chassidim could listen from their homes. On the streets, small minyanim formed on porches, back yards and the sidewalks, so people could still daven together b’minyan while keeping their distance.

The timing made it even more striking. Pesach was only a few weeks away, when the streets are usually busy with people shopping and preparing for Yom Tov. Instead, families were suddenly staying home, trying to understand what the coming weeks would bring. Stores, which rely heavily on this season, had to quickly find ways to keep their services going - some adding delivery options, while others offered curbside or out-the-door pickup.

Six years later, it remains something that few had ever imagined could happen, and a time that people will remember for many years to come.