Kissing The Swine Flu Goodbye

In Israel, suggested protective measures against swine flu include a ban on shared Kiddush cups and kissing of mezuzahs.

by Sharon Udasin

Rabbis in Israel are taking a stab at the swine flu with a brand-new proposal — no kissing. A mezuzah, that is.

In a collision of ancient Jewish tradition and modern disease control, Israeli spiritual leaders are offering multiple solutions to curb the disease’s spread, whether or not a vaccine becomes available.

In a joint statement issued last week, Israel’s chief Sephardic rabbi, Shlomo Amar, and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, spiritual leader of the Shas Party, declared that Wednesday, Aug. 19 would be a nationwide fast day in an attempt to combat the swine flu. (Meanwhile, they allegedly blamed the endemic on public sinning; Rabbi Yosef had blamed Hurricane Katrina on the fact that American blacks didn’t study the Torah.)

Aside from the fast, both rabbis and doctors are taking measures to decrease disease spread through precautionary hygienic practices. Thus far, the Centers for Disease Control has documented more than 7,500 cases and 477 deaths in the U.S. About 2,000 cases have been reported in Israel, with at least five fatalities, according to Israel’s Ministry of Health. Continue reading…