Police raid ultra-Orthodox prayer group above store in Ripponlea
Police raided an ultra Orthodox Jewish prayer group in Melbourne’s inner-east on Thursday morning where a group of at least 10 men were praying in contravention of social distancing rules.
Just after 11am, about 10 police vehicles swooped on an apartment above an IGA store on Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea.
Since then, men have been walking down onto the street from the apartment and are being interviewed by police.
Police confirmed they are at the scene, but have not confirmed whether anyone would face fines for breaching restrictions introduced to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Alex Fein, a local who witnessed the raid, said there were “heaps and heaps of police”.
About two weeks ago, prayer groups organised by members of the Satmar Hasidic sect, an offshoot of the Adass grouping, were revealed to be meeting for daily “minyan” prayers that require 10 men to attend, in defiance of social distancing rules.
The scene at Ripponlea
No immediate action was taken in response to reports about the prayer meetings but they prompted police interest and officers have since patrolled the locations at which they know they have taken place.
Last month Shlomo Kohn Shlita, Chief Rabbi of the Congregation Adass Israel, sent a letter to his congregation instructing them to pray at home rather than in groups.
"One should pray at home until the doctors say the pandemic has passed ... The danger negates the requirement to pray with a congregation," he wrote.
It is understood that a group often met to pray in the apartment before Victoria went into lockdown.
"It's inexcusable,” said Ms Fein, a member of the Jewish community.
Ms Fein said the group was "so extreme" and on the fringes of the religious community that even fundamentalist groups would have criticised them.
More to come.
Men leaving another secret prayer meeting last month.