A British gentile photographer spoke to the London-based Jewish Chronicle about her ordeal in covering illicit Covid weddings for Chareidim, stating that she had stopped working after attending a 300-person Chareidi reception where most people were not wearing masks.
Marisa D’Alessandro, 55, a freelance photographer at events, was hired to take photos of around a dozen Charedi weddings in June, July and October of last year.
“I assumed that they were abiding by the rules, that everyone would be wearing masks and be socially distanced because that was what the advice was at the time.
“I got to these venues utterly shocked to see no one was wearing a mask, except me, and they’re all looking at me like I’m mad,” D’Allessandro said.
Despite the lack of adherence to rules, the receptions got bigger and bigger as time went by. The last one she attended was a 300-person affair in Stamford Hill in October. Police arrived to break up the gathering, but guests simply grabbed masks and relocated to another venue which had been prepared for such an event.
“The caterer was whipping the tablecloth up, folding the tables up to make it look like there were fewer people at the wedding. It was like watching a comedy show,” D’Allessandro said, adding that she realized what she was doing was wrong.
“I should not have attended wedding.From June, I should have said ‘no’, but I didn’t.
“I just saw the weddings getting bigger and bigger and worse and worse with regards to respecting the regulations. Now if this virus is to be under control then these weddings have to stop.”
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