Ten people charged violating social distancing order attended an ENGAGEMENT PARTY in New Jersey

Police in New Jersey were forced to break up an engagement party of 16 people. 

Ten adults who attended were cited for violating New Jersey’s coronavirus ban on gatherings.

The party happened in Lakewood, a predominantly Jewish community that continued to ignore the the new rules on social distancing. 

Those charged included a 99-year-old man and came just hours after the state’s governor vowed to get more aggressive in charging people.   

The latest party in Lakewood to be shut down happened at this residence on Spruce Street 

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy banned weddings and social events to curb the COVID-19

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy banned weddings and social events to curb the COVID-19

The governor continues to warn people over Twitter and in press conferences not to have parties

The governor continues to warn people over Twitter and in press conferences not to have parties

‘Responding officers found a group of individuals, including children, on the front lawn and inside the residence,’ Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Lakewood Police Chief Gregory Meyer said in a joint statement. 

Governor Phil Murphy’s executive order bans ‘gatherings of individuals, whether they be at weddings, parties, celebrations, or other social events.’ The law came into effect on March 21st.  

The party was broken up at 4:30pm on Tuesday afternoon.    

It was the third day in a row that summonses were issued in Lakewood, according to NJ.com. 

Last week several residents of Lakewood, New Jersey, called the police after witnessing large gatherings at private homes in violation of a statewide ban which was enacted to help stop the spread of the coronavirus but parties of all shapes and sizes appear to still be continuing

Last week several residents of Lakewood, New Jersey, called the police after witnessing large gatherings at private homes in violation of a statewide ban which was enacted to help stop the spread of the coronavirus but parties of all shapes and sizes appear to still be continuing 

On Monday, police charged two people after 35 men were found studying at a Jewish school in the town despite both public and private schools being mandated to shut down during the crisis.

On Sunday, police were called once again – this time to break up a bar mitzvah with around 50 guests. Eliezer Silber, 37, and Miriam Silber, 34, were charged with one child endangerment count for each of their five children.

At the engagement party, Yaakov Kaufman, 47, and Eti Kaufman, 45, were charged with six counts of child endangerment for each of the six kids who were present at the party. 

The Kaufmans were also charged with violating the governor’s emergency order. 

Joshua Lichtenstein, 54; Brocha Lichtenstein, 22; Tzipora Wolfe, 24; Shmuel Kaufman, 23; Syril Lichtenstein, 54; Samuel Wolfe, 27; Michael Zimmerman, 99; and Ruky Zimmerman, 21 were also charged with violating the order for attending the party. 

Murphy has said that while the vast majority of people are observing the stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the virus, he is frustrated that some parties still appear to be taking place.  

‘We’re not happy,’ Murphy said during a news conference. ‘I assume there’s some amount of ignorance. The more swift, visible action that is taken… the more quickly we can bring this non-compliant behavior to zero.’

Police are warning that they are going to become more aggressive in issuing summons for people found to be breaching the order. 

‘Everybody at that gathering is now going to be cited,’ Col. Patrick Callahan, acting superintendent of the State Police, said. 

Earlier in March, police broke up celebrations at a event space in the town and two weddings as well.

The recent sightings of public gatherings have already exacerbated long-running tensions in Lakewood, where a large Orthodox Jewish population has relocated in recent years. 

As wedding halls were ordered to shut down, residents simply moved the ceremonies to backyards on their residential properties. 

Orthodox community leaders in Lakewood said that all 200 local synagogues and 130 yeshivas in the area have either shut down completely or limited prayer to small groups. 

‘This is a very concentrated close-knit community,’ Rabbi Moshe Zev Weisberg told NJ Advance Media. 

‘Many day-to-day activities and religious customs are done in group settings, so it’s a bit of a learning curve.

Rabbi Abe Friedman, a chaplain for the State Police and a member of the governor’s interfaith advisory council, told New Jersey 101.5 most Lakewood residents are following Murphy’s order but it is difficult for some Jewish residents who are used to gathering together for prayers three times a day.

‘This is a community, I believe, gathers and lives tight knit. The average family with five to eight children. Then when they grow older, marry off and then they have children, so the average household has about 20, including their own children, grandchildren and a son- or daughter-in-law,’ Friedman said. 

‘It’s very difficult to pull the plug on the routine of daily prayer and say ‘you’ve done this for the past 10, 20, 30, 50 years. Now just go home pray at home with no other people with you,” Friedman said. 

In New Jersey, Lakewood has 438 cases of coronavirus while Newark has 568 cases. Jersey City has tops the list with 820.

The state overall has reported 18,696 cases of coronavirus and 267 deaths. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk