We need a memorial
After a respite of nearly three months, the Board of Deputies has again registered the first reports of funerals where the deceased have contracted Covid.
There have now been 907 such funerals conducted within the Jewish community as reported to the Board of Deputies.
Unfortunately my family belong to this group. My father was probably one of the first to die apparently from Covid-19, although he didn’t realise it at the time having suddenly collapsed on the morning of the first lockdown on 23 March. I was sitting in the relatives’ room at St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington watching Boris Johnson on my mobile announcing to the country that we were now in lockdown as my father lay dying in the next room.
I would very much like to honour the memories of those who died from all sectors of the Jewish community. I am fortunate that I can visit my father’s grave in Willesden Cemetery whenever I want, even though I was forbidden (due to being high risk) to attend his actual funeral. There must be so many of us, families and friends who wish to pay their respects to those who have died within the cross communal Jewish community in a suitable location.
Please can you help me to get some traction on this and so the community comes together to remember those that have died from Covid?
Juliet Moss
julcmoss@aol.com
Covid and the Seder
There are more similarities between the Covid regulations and Judaism than those described by Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum (Covid has shown us that rules do matter in life, 30 July).
The United Synagogue’s Covid Guidance is divided into Policy (Must), Recommendations and Options. They correspond to Torah laws, Rabbinic laws and Minhag (Customs) respectively.
The NHS Guide for COVID-19 self-testing resembles the Haggadah. It starts with a picture of the Seder plate divided into the test strip, swab, extraction buffer sachet, extraction tube, extraction tube holder and plastic waste bag. We wash our hands and lay out the Seder plate. After examining each of the contents, we wash our hands a second time (counting 2 Minyanim rather saying a Berachah).
We then make a meal of carrying out the test. We answer the question whether we have Covid by reporting the result to the NHS.
Just as I eat matzos all the year round, I shall continue to wear a mask and gloves, and observe social distance (hands, face, space), indoors and outdoors.
Mark Drukker
Reading, Berkshire
I agree with Yoni Birnbaum that both Covid regulations and halacha, at their best, inspire us to take personal responsibility for our actions rather than lose our moral compass in the pursuit of hedonism and self-interest. It’s about rights and responsibilities.
But when push comes to shove, my right not become infected with Covid is greater than the right of a member of the Charedi, or any community, not to be vaccinated on religious grounds.
Stan Labovitch
Windsor
Board is diminished
I served as an elected member of the Board of Deputies for four decades, culminating in six years as its Vice President and Treasurer. But it wasn’t until I subsequently became a trustee of JCORE that I fully appreciated the critical role that our community can fulfil in the national debate on race relations and treatment of refugees.
Hence, I was horrified to read that the Board had rejected the application from JCORE to become a member (Deputies reject application from racial equality council, 30 July). Having now seen a recording of the debate, I despair at the crass ignorance and loss of moral compass shown by the Deputies.
As an Asylum Judge, I saw every day what an awful ordeal many asylum seekers and refugees had to suffer. I am so proud of JCORE for offering practical assistance to refugees in so many ways. I finally understood the words from the Book of Isaiah that Jews should be “a light unto the nations”. For members of the Board to believe that such a worthy organisation does not deserve a place on our representative body conveys an abysmal message to the wider community about our values and traditions.
Until the Board favourably reconsiders this application it remains a sadly diminished organisation.
County Cllr Laurence Brass
Hertfordshire County Council
Grave images
I read with interest the answers from Rabbis Brawer and Romain to the question regarding images on gravestones in Jewish cemeteries (Rabbi, I have a problem, 30 July) which led me to think of two such images in the US Willesden Cemetery.
The recently restored grave of artist Simeon Solomon has a discreetly engraved face on it. The black marble memorial to Michael Winner has a director’s chair engraved together with an epitaph “never a loser be, always a winner he” in gold lettering.
These graves are usually included in the tours regularly undertaken by volunteers at this historic cemetery.
Les Cazin
St Albans
Come to Sutton
Like my colleague from Catford and Bromley Synagogue (Life south of the river, Letters, 30 July) I am sad to see the demise of the South London Synagogue. Many of our current members in Sutton were previously members there, so there has always been warm relationship between the communities.
But what of the future? When I heard about the massive expansion of the Cancer Research Institute based near the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton, my reaction was that there must be Jews interested in working there. Maybe they don’t realise that there is a shul down the road, but we are here and we welcome enquiries from people interested in working at this world leading institute.
David Heller
Chair, Sutton and District Synagogue
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