Getting through the pandemic thanks to the community

On a Friday morning, people line up on the sidewalk in front of Cheskie, the famous kosher bakery in Mile End.

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Inside, there's a very lively atmosphere; people pass each other by pointing to loaves of Challah, chocolate chip cookies and Hamentashen triangular.

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Behind the counter, one often finds Cheskie himself, his wife Malky, or one of their five daughters, serving the uninterrupted flow of customers who pass through the door in English, French, Hebrew, and Yiddish.

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Cheskie is a bakery Heimishe — a Yiddish word that means “welcoming” and indicates that the establishment sells kosher products intended for Hasidic communities.

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However, every day, there are many people from diverse backgrounds and cultures at the bakery who order slices of Babka or an assortment of colored sugar cookies covered in chocolate and sprinkles.

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Cheskie Lebowitz is a small man with soft eyes that come alive above his mask. He only hides part of his long beard. He is discreet but energetic, moving from one end of the bakery to the other making sure that everything rolls perfectly. Since the start of the pandemic, a sign on the front door reads: “Seven people maximum.”

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“Generally speaking, business is going well,” says Cheskie, sneaking into the back kitchen among a team of three or four masked employees who are cutting, packing, and stacking mountains of boxes of Rugelach and cheesecake.

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However, there has been a noticeable increase in antisemitism and police activity in the neighborhood since the start of COVID-19, he tells us. Cheskie said he was there a few months ago when police showed up at the nearby synagogue where people had gathered to pray.

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He tried to talk to the agents to defuse the tense situation, but to no avail. The incident was then attributed to communication problems between the provincial government, Regional Public Health and the City of Montreal Police Department.

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A need for clarity

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Libby, one of Cheskie's daughters, is a journalist. She is currently writing an article on COVID-19 restrictions because she feels that there needs to be a broader discussion about government accountability and the communication of emergency and extralegal orders. “People think we don't want to follow the rules, or that we don't care about people,” she says, commenting on how the media has portrayed Hasidic communities in Outremont since the start of the pandemic.” But that's not the question, she adds. It's about continuing to live. It's the way we live.”

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As with all Montreal communities, the health crisis forced the Hasidim to change their lifestyle in order to respect the new rules. For example, when the province closed places of worship at the start of the pandemic, the neighborhood made international headlines because people organized there to pray together on the streets.

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As the government put in place and changed the restrictions, the new executive orders started affecting people in unexpected ways. For example, a higher proportion of large Hasidic families were linked to problems at the beginning, when the social distance measures were put in place. Indeed, it has been reported that some were falsely accused of violating physical distance laws. More recently, the provincial curfew has caused problems in maintaining religious traditions and rituals, including the celebration of the Sabbath, which must take place after sunset.

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When Quebec imposed and changed restrictions on gatherings in places of worship, the confusion was even greater, as no one knew whether the number of people allowed to gather depended on the room (as in other decrees) or on the entire building.

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“It's okay to ask questions, it's normal to be upset and confused,” says Libby, exasperated, explaining how the pandemic has affected her and her family over the past year. “There's a valid reason because it's not all clear,” she adds.

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In addition to calling for greater clarity and transparency in COVID-19 legislation, Libby would like to see more attention paid to how certain restrictions interfere with Charter rights, such as freedom of religion.

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“The government said at some point that the theater was allowed to open with 200 people inside, but that the synagogue was only allowed to open with 10 people inside,” she reports. “It's my right to practice my religion, more than to go to the theater, right? ” she asks.

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“It is extremely difficult to understand what we are supposed to do, what they expect of us,” adds Mayer Feig, a spokesperson for the Council of Hasidic Jews in Quebec. According to him, the council has been in contact with government officials through interreligious consultations since June, and yet misunderstandings persist.

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“A few months ago, during the second wave, when we were still allowed to have 25 people per room, in accordance with public health regulations, agents would show up at a synagogue and say, “You are only allowed to have one person per building.”

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Then, they went to another place and said: “You have the right to have 6 people per building” or “You are allowed to have 25 people per building” or even “You have the right to have 25 people per room”. So they went all the way,” he recalls.

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According to Mr. Feig, the agents who appeared in the synagogues pretended to apply Public Health recommendations, but their instructions directly contradicted what was communicated to officials by the ministry. “We went to the Public Health people saying that we had agreements with them about what we were supposed to do, but the SPVM said otherwise. They were asked for clarifications.

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Sometimes the measures were clarified, but never implemented; sometimes, they were never clarified,” he explains.

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The SPVM media relations department did not want to deny or confirm these allegations and refused to comment on any details related to its interventions with or communications with the Hasidic community in Outremont.

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Mr. Feig says that, today, given the drop in the infection rate in the community, he would like to see the restrictions on places of worship reassessed. “There is no evidence and there are no cases in the archives that a contagion or epidemic of COVID-19 is attributable to a place of worship,” he said. According to Santé Montréal, 93% of active disease outbreaks were instead located in workplaces, schools, care homes, and security services, many of which remain open. “If we can do it safely, why not? Mr Feig asks about religious gatherings. It is a protection provided in our Bill of Rights.”

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“It is possible to proceed safely,” he continues. A very large number of manufacturing businesses and schools, which are much bigger spreaders of the virus, continue to operate, which is understandable, because they are essential. Prayer is essential for us. As essential as alcohol, flowers, cannabis, and a lot of other things that are allowed.”

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Different perspectives

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Frédéric Dejean, professor of religious studies at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), says that the concerns expressed in Outremont reflect a larger issue for all religious traditions in Quebec.

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“It's a question of intercultural communication,” he says, explaining that the province's commitment to secularism makes things difficult and complicated to address. “It's hard to maintain a balance between religious freedom and the general interest,” he continues. And people outside of these communities often don't understand why, in some situations, people place religious laws above government edicts.”

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Mr. Dejean, who recently co-authored an article in which he called for greater sensitivity in controlling the boundaries of religious gatherings in communities like Outremont, believes that it is essential that people outside communities work to better understand differences in perspective and daily life if they want to improve the situation.

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“This crisis is an indicator of how we view religious groups and religious issues in Quebec today,” he said. Lessons have been learned from this situation and I hope that these lessons will not be forgotten in the future.”

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A “philosophical question”

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Fanny Magini, a borough councillor in Outremont, says that her office is aware of the problems that exist in the borough. She agrees that better communication is needed. “I think there was a lot of confusion, and unfortunately, what happened happened,” she said of the police interventions and conflicts that took place in January.

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Ms. Magini says her office is not receiving any direct communication from the province about the new orders. It is impossible for him to know if, or when, the government will impose more restrictions.

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However, she adds that, since her election in 2017, her team has tried to build relationships with Hassidic communities in Outremont, in particular by broadcasting the City's communications in English and French and by promoting events or news from the City in community publications such as the Heimishe News Flash in order to encourage more citizens to participate in local politics.

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With regard to the fact that COVID-19 restrictions are disproportionately affecting some religious communities in the district, Ms. Magini says that the problem is a question of priorities. “There is a majority of thinking about what is essential. For example, the SAQ and the SQDC are considered essential. But for these communities, what is essential is prayer,” she said.

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“Is what the majority think is essential really essential? And does the majority take into account the needs of the minority? she asks. It is a philosophical question.” A philosophical question with very real consequences for those who experience the reality — to which Ms. Magini unfortunately does not offer a solution.

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On the other hand, as president of the Culture and Commerce Committee of the City of Montreal, she indicates that she is working on the implementation of a new major cultural plan for the borough. This plan has been the subject of public consultations and inquiries for a year, and she urges all members of the community to participate.

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“Certainly [the contributions of Hasidic communities] is something we want to see in the cultural plan that will be implemented over the next five years,” she said. She adds that interested persons can contact the City by consulting the website Of the district or its Facebook page, or by subscribing to theNewsletter of the district.

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A life of family and community

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Meanwhile, the bakery is plunged into darkness, as Cheskie and her family celebrate Passover, a holiday that requires the entire store and kitchen to be cleaned from top to bottom, and that everything Hamets remaining, or yeast residue, be removed.

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The bakery will remain closed until April 2, as the local Jewish community celebrates the holiday with Seder meals, songs, traditional foods, and games.

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With health restrictions imposed by the government, Libby says many people will assess the risks by spending time with their families during this important holiday.

While it goes without saying that the law must be respected, life goes on. “It's not a life of fear,” Libby says. It is a family and community life.”