LONDON (JTA) — Nearly 5% of all coronavirus-related deaths in the United Kingdom are of Jewish people, who make up just 0.3% of the country’s population, The Jewish News of London reported.
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According to the paper’s report Thursday, at least 22 Jewish families have lost loved ones to the disease, which has killed 465 people in the United Kingdom. The U.K. has about 66 million residents and 250,000 Jews.
Jewish community leaders in Antwerp, Belgium, last week predicted a significantly higher infection rate of 85% in their congregation than the 50-70% rate that scientists expect to find in the general population. The leaders cited the large social circles and interaction of the Jewish community.
Among the hardest-hit congregations in the United Kingdom has been the Spanish and Portuguese Sephardi Community, which is based in northern London. It has lost four members in recent days, one of its rabbis told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Wednesday.
A man in his 70s who died was connected to the Edgware and Hendon Reform synagogue through his funeral, The Jewish Chronicle reported.
At least two rabbis of died of the disease: Yehuda Yaakov Refson, a senior rabbi in Leeds, was 73 when he died Sunday, and Zeev Willy Stern, a Holocaust survivor, was 86 when he died over the weekend.
Frieda Feldman, 97, died in London on Friday, the same day that she was diagnosed as having the virus, according to the Bhol news site.
Well who would think that extensive social mixing at Purim and then after that at Shul might make us more susceptible to this spreading? I realized this, as well as others, before Purim. Was no mystery. Question I have is why some others did not realize this at all. Not like there were no voices being raised warning about this that were simply ignored or shouted down for being smarter than the rabbonim.
Sad, but I wonder what percentage of the deaths are of Londoners, as location may play a role here as well. I’d assume Jews are more than .3 percent of the London population, and generally speaking large, densely populated cities are hit harder.
You have a loud obnoxious mouth and fail to see the community strong need to socially interact . Everything is a simple button by you.
Now time and place is not your thing either . At this time of tragedy stop being a smarty pants
Reform Jews are the ones that died not chareidim.
I wonder what triumphinwhitehouse has to say now.
(He previously stated: “I am guessing 10 OLD, SICK people will die just like they would die from the flu, common cold, pneumonia or anything else as they have a bad immune system.”)
Hey mr honest And all drs
I can tell you right now that once Pesach comes thousands of us will defy all your drs yelling about minyan.
We refuse to stay locked up in our houses after 3 weeks. It’s the highlight of the year and we won’t give it up. We will pour into the streets to hear duchaning. No don’t start hacking about hlacha . It’s deeper than that . It’s a self worth and what we live for .
I’d advise you and your ilk to think of a safe way to approach this bec a total lock down ain’t happening . You can tell all the yelling drs on vin that we won’t stay locked up. I’d suggest you follow Israel’s lead . They allow safe social distant outdoor minyanim . We all agree Israel moves smarter and quicker to contain it . They know what they are doing . If it’s good for them it’s good for us .
Once again we will be joining minyanim . It’s not a question . Now think about how to do it smart or shut up
Frankly, we should lock Archy, Heshy, and They Can’t in a room until this is all over. Maybe they can infect each other and no one else. Maybe Heshy can even live out his long suppressed dreams.
Stamford Hill lost a special yid today. Rev Uri Ashkenazi
Most of the people. I said most who passed away in England were reform not chareidim. Yes some elderly frum people nebech passed on. But most are reform.
I am shocked and sad…
I see this website for the first time…
PLEASE STOP LASHON HARA (bad speech)!
This virus /plague should bring us all together and not have this bad mouthing lashon hara, and lack of respect and unity for fellow humans.
Rabbi akiva’s 12000 pairs of students died of a plague nearly 2000 years ago, because they did not love their neighbours…
How many of our communities will die of this plague? How many more of the people on this Earth will die?
Until we have unity, caring, sharing and “love your neighbour as yourself” this 2020 plague will continue.
Wake up… Follow rules and save lives…
The most important place is the home not the synagogue: what is important is caring for family, helping family and friends in a safe way.
We are still Jewish even when we can’t go to gather together in synagogues.
Hashem (the creator)will continue to allow the virus to spread until we respect, care and share.
Covid19 = cavod19 … 19 gematria chava. Chava = shekinah, the female aspect of hashem:
Cavod means respect.
Have respect for hashem.
Bidud in Hebrew means isolation/quarantine.
Hitbodedut means to be “alone” in order to be with hashem/to find hashem.
So use this wonderful gift of bidud/isolation/staying at home to reconnect with the Creator.
May we all have the merit to fill ourselves with happiness and joy, closing all Gates of negativity,
allow the light of the creator to infuse us with certainty and health, and unite with each other in respect and love.