Orthodox organisations fall out over London hospital visitation

The Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations has told a London hospital that Levi Schapiro, the founder of the Jewish Community Council in Stamford Hill, does not represent the Orthodox Jewish community.

In a letter to the head of chaplaincy at the Royal London Hospital, Imam Yunus Dudhwala, the UOHC’s rabbinate said they were “deeply distressed” to hear of his recent experiences “with regard to Mr Schapiro”.

They said they had been made aware of the imam’s concerns by the chaplain, Rabbi Eli Kernkraut.

“While we acknowledge the good intentions of Mr Schapiro [acting as the JCC], he does not have the credentials to undertake communal advocacy, especially in sensitive areas such as health,” the rabbinate said. They added: “He does not represent the UOHC or any other group in the Orthodox Jewish community in any form.”

In response, a statement from the committee of the JCC said it had been “unfortunate that such a letter was sent to the imam without prior consultation” with the committee.

It said its “dedicated and loyal team of volunteers” had provided assistance to hundreds of families “who were badly hit by the Covid crisis”.

It claimed that the community turned to the JCC to “advocate on their behalf” as the Union had “a huge burden on their plate and cannot lobby case by case”. It added: “In light of recent events, we wish to clarify that our hospital liaison representative operates in full co-operation with the hospital team, within the framework of Covid-19 rules.”

A spokesman for Barts NHS Trust, which runs the Royal London, said it was “working closely” with the Jewish community, naming Rabbi Kernkraut, Ezra U’Marpeh, Bikur Cholim, Hatzola and the Mars (Medical Advocacy and Referral Service). It had approved two Hatzola family liaisons to support patients.

The spokesman added that “incidents in which our visitor policy was breached were brought to our attention and have since been resolved with the support of the community. We continue to have a positive relationship and look forward to continuing our partnership together.”