8 Haredim Arrested in Buenos Aires Wedding

The groom and bride, their parents and the rabbi who conducted the chupah – all Haredi Jews – were arrested for “flagrantly” disregarding the health guidelines regarding the coronavirus pandemic, Buenos Aires Prosecutor Juan Bautista said in a statement Tuesday.

Bautista said he was investigating at least two additional weddings that had been conducted over the past week in defiance of the health regulations.

Argentina has enforced strict guidelines in its effort to combat the coronavirus, and to date has registered 13,228 patients and 484 deaths, in a population of 45 million (11 death per million).

The arrests were made in response to a video of the wedding which had taken place last Wednesday. The event included 150 guests in the neighborhood of Balvanera, a.k.a. Barrio, a.k.a. Once (after Plaza Once de Septiembre) where most of the Haredi Jewish community lives.

Eliahu Hamra, culture secretary at the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association, told AFP the Jewish community “condemns this action,” which was carried out by “individuals in private locations.”

Argentina is home to the largest Jewish community in Latin America, with an estimated 300,000 members.