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This American Life has a very in-depth broadcast from 2014 about the many, many, issues involved. Well worth a listen: "A Not-So-Simple Majority: Before the w

This American Life has a very in-depth broadcast from 2014 about the many, many, issues involved. Well worth a listen: "A Not-So-Simple Majority: Before the war in the East Ramapo, New York school district, there was a truce. Local school officials made a deal with their Hasidic and ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbors: we'll leave you alone to teach your children in private yeshivas as you see fit as long as you allow our public school budget to pass. But the budget is funded by local property taxes, which everyone, including the local Hasidim, have to pay — even though their kids don't attend the schools that their money is paying for. What followed was one of the most volatile local political battles we've ever encountered." https://www.thisamericanlife.org/534/a-not-so-simple-majority https://www.thisamericanlife.org/534/a-not-so-simple-majorit...

js2 8y ago
I’ve listened to that episode but I don’t recall vaccinations being part of it, and I don’t see anything in the transcript re:vaccinations, so I’m not sure how it’s directly relevant. The point of my comment is that Judaism itself is not the reason these orthodox communities are rejecting vaccines, unlike some other communities/religions that have specific cultural or religious objections to medical care.
- nerdponx 8y ago
  I didn't mean to imply that it was, but that's a good point. I was meaning to highlight their resistance to intervention by the local governments whose jurisdiction they do their best to ignore.
  - js2 8y ago
    Fair enough. I’m Jewish and part of my extended family is Orthodox (though my direct family is not), so I’ probably being overly sensitive. BTW, you should look at this horrible anti-vax booklet (linked to from the Gothamist piece) that’s been circulated among these communities: https://issuu.com/peachmoms/docs/the_vaccine_safety_handbook_a4 https://issuu.com/peachmoms/docs/the_vaccine_safety_handbook... Ugh.
- Balgair 8y ago
  > I’ve listened to that episode but I don’t recall vaccinations being part of it You are correct! I was attempting to add additional context and history to the Orthodox communities that are in Upstate NY. It's a long and complicated relationship that these tight-knit communities have had with their neighbors. Not unlike the complex relationships that the Amish have with their neighbors. > The point of my comment is that Judaism itself is not the reason these orthodox communities are rejecting vaccines I would also agree with this. From my very outsider perspective, it seems as if this is particular to just those Orthodox communities in Upstate NY, not to Orthodox Judaism in general. A very cursory google search turns up no issues with vaccinations in the Orthodox communities in New York City itself, not too far away.

js2 8y ago

I’ve listened to that episode but I don’t recall vaccinations being part of it, and I don’t see anything in the transcript re:vaccinations, so I’m not sure how it’s directly relevant. The point of my comment is that Judaism itself is not the reason these orthodox communities are rejecting vaccines, unlike some other communities/religions that have specific cultural or religious objections to medical care.

nerdponx 8y ago
I didn't mean to imply that it was, but that's a good point. I was meaning to highlight their resistance to intervention by the local governments whose jurisdiction they do their best to ignore.
- js2 8y ago
  Fair enough. I’m Jewish and part of my extended family is Orthodox (though my direct family is not), so I’ probably being overly sensitive. BTW, you should look at this horrible anti-vax booklet (linked to from the Gothamist piece) that’s been circulated among these communities: https://issuu.com/peachmoms/docs/the_vaccine_safety_handbook_a4 https://issuu.com/peachmoms/docs/the_vaccine_safety_handbook... Ugh.
Balgair 8y ago
> I’ve listened to that episode but I don’t recall vaccinations being part of it You are correct! I was attempting to add additional context and history to the Orthodox communities that are in Upstate NY. It's a long and complicated relationship that these tight-knit communities have had with their neighbors. Not unlike the complex relationships that the Amish have with their neighbors. > The point of my comment is that Judaism itself is not the reason these orthodox communities are rejecting vaccines I would also agree with this. From my very outsider perspective, it seems as if this is particular to just those Orthodox communities in Upstate NY, not to Orthodox Judaism in general. A very cursory google search turns up no issues with vaccinations in the Orthodox communities in New York City itself, not too far away.