ABSTRACT
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic broke out in Israel in January 2020. Affecting various sectors in the country, its impact was felt especially in ultra-Orthodox society, a category that includes some 300 separate religious communities that are geographically dispersed and exhibit a wide range of behaviours. The impact of tensions stemming from ideological and social schisms on social cohesion is determined to a large extent by the conflict-regulating ability of the political system. This ability, in turn, is influenced by the extent of the burden which the political system must bear. The COVID-19 pandemic is a point of contact between the state (Israel) and ultra-Orthodox communities, and between consensus and polarization. The different responses to COVID-19 on the part of various ultra-Orthodox sects are examined, as well as the manner in which this may reflect or contribute to rifts between the various ultra-Orthodox streams (in particular, Sephradim, Hasidim, and Lithuanians).
