The mourners were packed together shoulder to shoulder for the funeral for Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, 91, outside the Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem, a 113-year-old yeshiva - a religious Jewish education institution - that he headed.
The gathering was in violation of social distancing guidelines, but such restrictions have been routinely ignored for the past 24 hours in New York City including by the city's mayor.
On Saturday, jubilant crowds, which included Mayor Bill de Blasio, erupted in celebration after Joe Biden’s apparent election victory.
Critics online had accused the mayor of being a hypocrite, by joining the celebrations after demanding for months that New Yorkers do not socialize in large groups.
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New York City initially became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic when it hit the United States earlier this year.
In dealing with the public health crisis, the state instituted lockdown measures that prevented people from gathering crowds and forced the closure of businesses, including restaurants, bars, theaters, offices, and sporting events.
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But mass crowds did form in New York as well as other cities this year amid protests in response to the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.
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And on Saturday, when networks projected Biden as the winner of the presidential election, thousands took to the streets of New York as well as other major cities and towns across the country to celebrate.
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De Blasio was among those who also broke social distancing protocol to pose for photos with revelers in the Big Apple on Saturday.
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The staunch Trump critic was pictured huddling in close with a number of New Yorkers to snap selfies near Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn.
While de Blasio did wear a mask, he didn't appear to abide by social distancing guidelines and was seen in at least two images with his arms around supporters and large crowds gathered behind him.
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The images were shared to Twitter by the NYC Mayor's Office's official page, which included a quote from de Blasio congratulating Biden on his election win.
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'Congratulations, President-elect @JoeBiden and Vice President-elect @KamalaHarris! New York City stands ready to work with you to heal our country and set us on a better path.' Fears of coronavirus appeared to be a distant memory on Saturday as swaths of people gathered and embraced in the streets.
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De Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo have been accused of singling out the Orthodox Jewish community after coronavirus lockdown measures were reinstated in specific neighborhoods that saw a viral uptick last month. The renewed lockdowns were met with harsh criticism since those areas are home to large Orthodox Jewish populations.
The governor barred religious gatherings during the Jewish High Holy Days, prompting outrage as well as lawsuits filed by Agudath Israel as well as the Catholic Diocese in Brooklyn.
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