A New York Beis Din was convened in October 2021. They heard expert testimony so they could decide the wisdom of inoculating children against COVID-19. The testimony also included effects of the vaccine on other populations. The rabbis comprising the court:

• Harav Shlomo Alexander Halevi Pollak, Dayan and Moreh Tzedek*
  Rav of Chelek Levi, Beis Hamedrash of Serentch, and head of the Kollel Vasikin & Rashbi – Lakewood, NJ
• Harav Yoel Moshe Friedman, Dayan and Moreh Tzedek*
  Rav of Toras Chaim, Beis Hamedrash of Rivnitz, & presiding over Yeshiva Divrei Menachem – Monsey, NY
• Harav Doniel Yonoson Green, Dayan and Moreh Tzedek*
  Rav, director Keystone Jewish Center, communal guide & activist, Talmudic instructor–Crown Heights, NY

Summary of the Rabbinical Court’s Decision

The rabbinical court states that it convened to evaluate the COVID-19 vaccines after hearing testimony from physicians, scientists, vaccine developers, injured individuals, and other witnesses. According to the decision, the court concluded that the evidence presented raised halachically unacceptable concerns regarding the safety of the vaccines, the completeness and reliability of the available data, the suppression of alternative treatments, and the reporting of vaccine injuries.

Based on that testimony, the court ruled that:

• It is forbidden to administer or promote the COVID-19 vaccine to children, adolescents, and young adults, even if refusal results in educational or other government-imposed restrictions. The court also called upon the public to oppose vaccine mandates affecting children.
• Pregnant women and healthy adults of childbearing age should not receive the vaccine because the court concluded that the potential risks to fertility and pregnancy were halachically unacceptable.
• With respect to older adults, the court stated that the available data required further clarification but nevertheless recommended refraining from vaccination because of what it viewed as significant unresolved safety concerns and the availability of other treatments.
• The court accepted testimony raising concerns about vaccine “shedding” and recommended that pregnant women avoid close contact with recently vaccinated individuals as a precaution.
• It ruled that encouraging, pressuring, incentivizing, or coercing others to receive the vaccine could violate the Torah prohibition of placing a “stumbling block before the blind” (Leviticus 19:14).

The ruling also states that the court found the available safety data, reports of adverse events, and the testimony presented during the proceedings sufficient to justify a precautionary approach. The complete decision is available in the attached document, in English.

Watch the entire court proceedings here:

Watch individual testimonies below:

 

Expert Testimony: Risks Associated with COVID-19 Vaccinations – PhD Geert Vanden Bossche, Veterinarian, virologist, and vaccine researcher.

 

Expert Testimony: Risks Associated with COVID-19 Vaccinations  – Dr. Peter McCullough, Cardiologist; board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and clinical lipidology. He is one of the world’s most published physicians in his field.

 

Expert Testimony: Risks Associated with COVID-19 Vaccinations – Dr. Robert Malone, Physician and researcher in virology, immunology, and who worked on early mRNA technology and its delivery systems.

 

Expert Testimony: Risks Associated with COVID-19 Vaccinations – Attorney Thomas Renz

 

Expert Testimony: Risks Associated with COVID-19 Vaccinations – Dr. Jane Ruby, Health economist and pharmaceutical researcher.

 

Expert Testimony: Risks Associated with COVID-19 Vaccinations – Dr. Christiane Northrup, Obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN)

 

Expert Testimony: Risks Associated with COVID-19 Vaccinations – Dr. Michael Yeadon, Pharmacologist and former Vice President and Chief Scientist for Allergy and Respiratory Research at Pfizer. He spent 16 years leading research into new medicines for asthma, allergy, and respiratory disease before leaving Pfizer in 2011.

 

Expert Testimony: Risks Associated with COVID-19 Vaccinations – Dr. Janci Chunn Lindsay, Toxicologist and molecular biologist specializing in reproductive and developmental toxicology.

 

Expert Testimony: Risks Associated with COVID-19 Vaccinations – Dr. Richard Urso, Opthamologist

 

Expert Testimony: Risks Associated with COVID-19 Vaccinations – Dr. Jessica Rose, Computational biologist and immunologist.

 

COVID-19 Adverse Reactions Testimony-Dr. Eric Feintuch, Chiropractor, who testified regarding the biological mechanisms of the mRNA vaccines and their potential risks. Describes personal experience spending 3 years in the hospital with a child on a ventilator.