Madison Clarke
Orthodox Jews have been the target of anti-vaccine propaganda, which has led to a massive measles outbreak in 2019 and a COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. This has been attributed to a history of distrust in the government, the influence of anti-vaccination rabbis, and the spread of misinformation through WhatsApp groups, posters, and hotlines. While there is no Jewish law forbidding vaccination, and most rabbis strongly advocate for it, the ultra-Orthodox Jewish population remains an under-vaccinated minority group.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Israel, Belgium, UK, US |
| Type of content | Posters, hotline messages, books, rabbinic proclamations, WhatsApp messages, rallies |
| Producers/Spreaders | Anti-vaccine activists, anti-vaccine rabbis, anti-vaccine groups, Parents Educating and Advocating for Children's Health (PEACH), Church of Scientology |
| Target audience | Ultra-Orthodox Jews, Hasidic Jews, Orthodox Jewish women, Orthodox Jewish children |
| Effect | Anti-vaccine sentiment, low vaccination rates, measles outbreak |
| Countermeasures | Counter-messaging campaigns, blacklisting hotlines, pro-vaccine posters, rabbinical blessings, accurate information campaigns, education and awareness |
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What You'll Learn
Anti-vaccine propaganda in Orthodox Jewish communities
The Jewish Ultra-Orthodox (UO) population is an under-vaccinated minority group that has been disproportionately affected by outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD) such as measles and polio. While barriers to vaccination among the UO community are largely logistical, with little religious framing, safety and efficacy concerns are similar to those reported in the wider community.
In recent years, there has been a decrease in the influence of the traditionally pro-vaccine mainstream religious leadership and a growing influence of anti-vaccination movements specifically targeting the UO community. This has resulted in pockets of resistance to vaccination within the UO population. For example, attempts to introduce the HPV vaccination in UO schools in Israel have largely been resisted.
In 2019, an anti-vaccination rally drew hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Monsey, New York. The event was organised by a Jewish group and included speakers from anti-vaccination groups, such as the Church of Scientology, as well as the British doctor Andrew Wakefield, whose study linking measles vaccines with autism was widely discredited and condemned. The event was denounced by local elected officials, health authorities, and some ultra-Orthodox rabbis, who said the speakers were spreading propaganda that could endanger the health of children within the community and beyond.
In the same year, a measles outbreak in Brooklyn, New York, was linked to the spread of anti-vaccine messages in Orthodox Jewish communities. A glossy booklet called "The Vaccine Safety Handbook", produced by an anonymous organisation called Parents Educating and Advocating for Children's Health (PEACH), was mailed out to members of the Orthodox Jewish community and spread unfounded fears about vaccines. The booklet inaccurately suggested that vaccines are made up of "toxins" and, without evidence, claimed that vaccines are linked to autism, ADHD, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, miscarriage, and other maladies.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Orthodox Jewish communities in New York faced an influx of misinformation about the vaccine, including fake rabbinic proclamations, Yiddish posters, and WhatsApp messages spreading false information. In Israel, anti-vaccine activists put up posters in the streets, spreading rumours and hesitancy about the COVID-19 vaccine. However, a counter-messaging campaign led by an ultra-Orthodox public relations consultant, working with Israel's Health Ministry, was successful in convincing devout Jewish communities to embrace the vaccine.
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Anti-vaccine posters and hotline campaigns
The ultra-Orthodox Jewish population is an under-vaccinated minority group that has been disproportionately affected by outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. While there are barriers to vaccination among the ultra-Orthodox, such as logistical challenges and safety and efficacy concerns, there is also a growing influence of anti-vaccination movements specifically targeting this community.
One example of this targeted campaign is the distribution of posters and pamphlets spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines. During the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Israel, anti-vaccine activists put up posters in the streets, warning against the vaccine and sharing anecdotal evidence of its alleged dangers. In response, Avi Blumenthal, an ultra-Orthodox public relations consultant, worked with Israel's Health Ministry to counter these messages with their own pro-vaccine posters.
In addition to posters, anonymous hotlines have also been used to spread anti-vaccine sentiments among the ultra-Orthodox community. These hotlines feature prerecorded announcements that warn against the COVID-19 vaccine and share unverified anecdotes of people allegedly dying after receiving the vaccine. The income generated from these hotlines is believed to have funded the anti-vaccine poster campaigns. By working with a rabbinic council, Blumenthal was able to block these hotlines, leading to a decrease in anti-vaccine messaging and a subsequent increase in vaccination rates among the ultra-Orthodox.
Another instance of anti-vaccine campaigning targeting the Orthodox Jewish community was the distribution of a glossy booklet called "The Vaccine Safety Handbook" by an organization called PEACH (Parents Educating and Advocating for Children's Health). This handbook, spread through mailings and a dedicated hotline, was filled with conspiracy theories and inaccurate data, claiming that vaccines are made up of toxins and are linked to various health issues. The handbook was particularly effective in the Orthodox community due to a historical mistrust of government and a fear of whether the government's information is truthful.
The anti-vaccine campaigning has also taken the form of rallies and symposiums organized by the ultra-Orthodox community, featuring speakers from the anti-vaccination movement. These events have been denounced by local officials, health authorities, and some ultra-Orthodox rabbis as spreading dangerous propaganda that endangers the health of the community.
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Orthodox Jews' historical mistrust of government
Orthodox Judaism is a response to modernity, arising in Hungary in the early nineteenth century. It advocates strict observance of Jewish Law, or halakha, which is to be interpreted and determined only according to traditional methods. This means obeying the dietary, purity, ethical, and other laws of halakha, such as refraining from doing numerous routine actions on the Sabbath and holidays, consuming only kosher food, praying thrice daily, studying the Torah, and wearing modest clothing.
The anti-Zionist worldview of ultra-Orthodox groups, such as Neturei Karta and Satmar Hasidism, perceives Zionism and the establishment of the State of Israel as an anti-messianic act. They believe that the Jewish people may only be restored to the Land of Israel by the Messiah, and that the current state is secular and does not govern by religious law. This view is considered fringe, even within Haredi, or ultra-Orthodox circles. Neturei Karta has been denounced by other Orthodox Jewish movements for its pursuit of relationships with entities seeking to destroy Israel, such as the PLO.
Historically, the Orthodox camp has been led by figures such as Rabbi Moses Sofer of Pressburg, Hungary, who is regarded as the first to grasp the realities of the modern age. Sofer understood that his political influence was waning and that he had lost the ability to enforce observance. His response to the crisis of traditional Jewish society was unremitting conservatism, canonizing every detail of prevalent norms in the observant community.
In the 1840s in Germany, as traditionalists became a minority, some Orthodox rabbis urged the adoption of Moses Sofer's position and to anathemize the nonobservant. However, Rabbi Jacob Ettlinger, whose journal was the first regular Orthodox newspaper, rejected their call and chose to regard the modern secularized Jew as a transgressor rather than a schismatic.
In the 1930s, the Aguda movement, represented by the Haredi Council, opposed the formation of a Jewish political state in the Land of Israel. However, in response to rising antisemitism in Europe, the movement adopted a more compromising approach to Zionism. This leniency was too much for Rabbi Amram Blau, who, along with Rabbi Aharon Katzenelbogen, co-founded Neturei Karta.
In recent times, there has been a decrease in the influence of the traditionally pro-vaccine mainstream religious leadership and a growing influence of anti-vaccination movements targeting the Orthodox community. This has resulted in Orthodox Jews being an under-vaccinated minority group that has been disproportionately affected by outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. While there are some logistical barriers to vaccination in the Orthodox community, the increasing influence of anti-vaccination movements is a new phenomenon that requires close monitoring.
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Misinformation in Orthodox WhatsApp groups
Orthodox WhatsApp groups have been a hotbed of misinformation regarding vaccines, with Yiddish messages and falsified letters bearing the signatures of prominent rabbis spreading false information about the dangers of the COVID-19 vaccine. This trend is not new, and the Orthodox Jewish community has a history of being targeted by anti-vaccine propaganda, which has led to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio.
In 2019, a measles outbreak in Brooklyn was linked to the spread of anti-vaccine messages in Orthodox Jewish communities. A glossy booklet called "The Vaccine Safety Handbook," published by an anonymous organization called Parents Educating and Advocating for Children's Health (PEACH), played a significant role in spreading misinformation. The handbook inaccurately suggested that vaccines were made up of "toxins" and were linked to autism, ADHD, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, miscarriage, and other health issues. PEACH also operated a hotline targeting Orthodox Jewish women, spreading unfounded fears about vaccines for a decade.
Additionally, there have been instances of anti-vaccine rallies and symposiums organized by ultra-Orthodox groups, featuring speakers from the anti-vaccination movement, such as Andrew Wakefield, whose study linking measles vaccines to autism was widely discredited. These events have been denounced by local elected officials, health authorities, and some ultra-Orthodox rabbis, who recognize the danger of spreading misinformation.
The spread of misinformation in Orthodox WhatsApp groups is particularly concerning due to the community's historical distrust of government recommendations and the influence of rabbinical leaders. While mainstream rabbinical voices have traditionally been pro-vaccine, the growing influence of fringe anti-vaccination rabbis within the community has contributed to vaccine hesitancy.
To combat misinformation, Orthodox health literacy groups, such as the EMES Initiative, have launched educational efforts to spread accurate information about vaccines in the Orthodox Jewish community. Additionally, counter-messaging campaigns have been waged to confront false rumors and hesitancy about vaccines. These efforts have had some success, with a significant proportion of ultra-Orthodox adults over 30 being vaccinated against COVID-19.
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Orthodox rabbis' influence on vaccine hesitancy
The influence of Orthodox rabbis on vaccine hesitancy among the Orthodox Jewish community is a complex issue. While rabbis are considered religious authorities and play an important role in helping their followers cope with health issues, there are varying degrees of obedience to their teachings when it comes to vaccination.
In general, Orthodox rabbis have encouraged their followers to vaccinate, citing the importance of protecting oneself and the community. For example, Rabbi Asher Weiss, a leading Orthodox Jewish legal authority in Israel, stated that "every new medicine or medical procedure might have long-term effects, but we always try to strike the right balance between what is needed now and what might, theoretically, happen in the future." Similarly, Rabbi Yisroel Lipschutz, a leading authority during the discovery of the smallpox vaccine in the 19th century, ruled that despite the risk of death from the vaccine, one should still get vaccinated.
However, there are also fringe anti-vaccination voices among the rabbinical world. These rabbis may contribute to vaccine hesitancy by spreading misinformation or expressing concerns about vaccine safety and long-term effects. Additionally, some Orthodox Jews may be influenced by anti-vaccination movements outside of the community, as well as a general distrust of government and modern values.
In the case of COVID-19 vaccines, there was initially a significant amount of hesitancy among Orthodox Jews, with anti-vaccine poster campaigns and anonymous hotlines spreading misinformation. However, through aggressive counter-messaging campaigns and the influence of pro-vaccine rabbis, Israel was able to achieve a high vaccination rate among Orthodox adults over 30.
While rabbis do have an influence on the decision-making process of Orthodox Jewish parents regarding vaccination, other factors also come into play. For example, a study of Orthodox Jewish mothers in Israel found that despite the rabbis' instructions to vaccinate, some mothers decided not to vaccinate their children due to their own assessment of risk based on information found online. This highlights the complex interplay between religious authority and individual decision-making in the context of vaccine hesitancy.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Orthodox Jews are being targeted by anti-vaccine material. This has been spread through WhatsApp messages, posters, and a glossy booklet called "The Vaccine Safety Handbook".
The anti-vaccine material contains misinformation about the dangers of vaccines, including false claims that they are made up of toxins and are linked to autism, ADHD, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, miscarriage, and other maladies.
Orthodox doctors and community leaders are working to spread accurate information about vaccines. In Israel, an aggressive campaign against rumors and hesitancy increased the vaccination rate among ultra-Orthodox adults over 30 to 80%.
The Orthodox Jewish community has a history of distrust in the government due to the devastation of European Jewry during World War II. This makes them more susceptible to anti-vaccine messaging.
