Argentina closes Synagogues

The Achdut Jewish community published on Facebook the hours when its mikwa (ritual bath) was open. The police arrived and arrested the naked bathers and assistants.

In Argentina, Dura Lex Sed Lex. 

The Charter for the Jews of Prussia (1750)

I have no new books so I am re-reading those in the bottom of the book-case. "We, Frederick, by God's Grace, etc. etc. make known and order to be make known..." This Charter is a very long and detailed bureaucratic document regularizing the situation of the Jews in the Kingdom of Prussia, with a very long foreword emphatizing Frederick's magnamity and his desire to protect existing guilds and trades from Jewish competition. Every economic activity already taken by the natives is forbidden for the Jews; on the other hand, Frederick carefully details the areas open for the Jews: they can trade in money exchange and pledges, buying and selling of houses, trade in imported textiles, silk goods, wool goods, deal in undressed and unfinished pelts (but not in finished furrier wares), and the list goes on for two pages. Jewish activity in those fields is encouraged and protected by the State.

Frederick was an enlightened king trying to moderize its country. I dont find antisemitism in this document (except  universal complaints against Jewish commercial practices, which may have something in them) but a strong desire to avoid direct competition and economic conflict with the native population. As a Jew analysing this formal document two hundred seventy years after,  I notice fear of the Jews and the desire to push their activities to marginal, risky areas such as finance and foreign trade. Prussian Jews were denied the secure existence of traditional trades like farmers, bakers, butchers, taylors, furriers, watchmakers, etc. all of them protected against competition by powerful guilds, Jews were forced to extremely difficult and risky activities. Like the elder Rothschild in Frankfurt, trying to feed his large family selling old coins to rich collectors.   

Alberto tells the IMF to get lost

Alberto Fernandez, the Peronist President of Argentina, is phoning to Giorgieva of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) that Argentina will not repay the loan received last year. IMF's former Chief Lagarde loaned Argentina half of IMF's capital to help Macri win the elections (he lost). It's not small change, we are talking about a hundred billion dollars. Alberto also told her that no pandemic will affect Argentina. I can't say this was unexpected.

People is breaking down

Hungarians debating the pandemic.

Blogger Greg Cochran criticizes John Iannidis paper on the pandemic, suspecting he is psychotic. I read the offending paper and what I found was a simple reading comprehension issue, which may happen even in Stanford U. I visited Hungarian sites to see how they manage, and found them busy blaming each other for the disease (pic). Hope to keep my sanity in the coming days.

Preparing for Lockdown

The radio announced that the Army will be assisting the police to enforce the stay-in-home quarantine. The Secret Service is already monitoring the movements of individuals suspected of being infected. Israel has closed hermetically its borders. Since factories and business have been ordered to close, half a million persons have lost their jobs and are drawing social security. Unemployment jumped to 16%. The Bank of Israel has started to spend its foreign currency reserves. Israel suspended the patents of several antiviral drugs and will start to use generic copies. We want to avoid what is going on in Lombardy, and following the successful Wuhan model. BTW, in Wuhan there is no more coronavirus. All those Chinese and foreigners who made desperate efforts to be rescued from Wuhan and move to supposedly safe diseasefree countries like Italy, France, Canada, USA - made a mistake. The safest place was and is Wuhan. I have much work pending, but cannot focus on my projects and have barely worked all the week. Very bad. 

The Chief Rabbi Allows the Use of Phones during the Sabbat

Rabbi Yosef also ruled that anyone who has been tested for coronavirus and is awaiting the results should leave his cell phone switched on during Shabbat, and should answer it with a shinui [in a different manner from during the rest of the week] in order to be updated on his status, in case he needs to go into quarantine. 

The logic of his ruling is clear, but once we start giving allowances to special cases, what remains? Anyway, he is not my rabbi. I am a Hungarian Jew. 

Israel: A Day with No New Cases

The short wave radio, a gift of the Bank for taking a loan, is speaking all the time about the political impasse in Israel, no music or news about the corona. According the WHO situation report, yesterday there were no new cases in Israel, but that is no news. Looks like Netaniyahu will be ruling four years more. My worry is the stock exchange, from a 20% profit I am now 20% BELOW the purchasing price of the portfolio. I cannot think clearly and focus, so am doing nothing.