Community’s Covid death toll passes grim milestone of one thousand

British Jews marked a sombre moment today, as the grim milestone of 1,000 deaths linked to coronavirus in the community was passed.

New data by the Board of Deputies, reveals six funerals took place last week, bringing the total number of fatalities due to Covid-19 up to 1,002.

Writing in Jewish News this week, the President of the Board of Deputies, Marie van der Zyl reflected on the first wave of the virus in early 2020  “where Jews seemed to be disproportionately at risk of dying from this awful disease”.

500 deaths were reported in the first 109 days of the pandemic, with more than 110 deaths reported during Pesach 2020 alone.

The Board has compiled mortally figures with the main synagogue movement burial boards, as well as regional organisations such as the Jewish Small Communities Network.

van der Zyl said initially the Board figures on deaths “tallied with ONS statistics, indicated that Jews were far more likely to have died of Covid in the initial wave than the general population”.

She is it genetic factors were however the  “least likely explanation”, with high death rates instead probably linked to communities being “located in major metropolitan areas, particularly in London and the South-East, and this was where Covid first struck in the UK.

“We are also an older demographic than the general population. As we soon discovered, Covid finds its victims disproportionately from the aged.”

The Board President reflected on the coinciding of the start of the pandemic with Purim, a  “very sociable time for the Jewish community” which had “devastating consequences”. This led to 457 deaths being recorded between 2 March and 15 May.

Reflecting on the communal response to the second lockdown, she said all sections of the community “proved very enthusiastic” about vaccines and the “vast majority of the Jewish population followed lockdown regulations”.

The rate of deaths massively slowed, with the 900 mark being passed in March 2021, and 950 in November.  “The numbers of members of our community dying in the current Omicron wave have sadly increased, this number is not disproportionate to the general population”, she added.

The Board, van der Zyl said, also “managed to avert emergency legislation which could have meant bodies being cremated against their families will”, while praising people who “selflessly came forward to support those in their local communities, delivering food and medicine, telephone-befriending and working to transform community spaces to be virtually accessible.”

“Few if any of us have been untouched by this pandemic. It is my earnest hope that we will be soon able to create a proper memorial to those who died. In future years, while we carry on with our lives, we must never forget those whom we lost in the worst health crisis of any of our lifetimes.”

The Board of Deputies is liaising with seven of the largest denominational burial boards to collate an indicator of deaths where Covid-19 was a factor. These denominational burial boards are: The Adath Yisroel Burial Society, the Federation of Synagogues Burial Society, the Joint Jewish Burial Board, Liberal Judaism, the Spanish and Portuguese Sephardi Community, the United Synagogue Burial Society and the Western Charitable Foundation.

Reflecting on the sombre figure,  Steven Wilson, Chief Executive of the United Synagogue, said: “This is a heart-breaking milestone for the Jewish community and a sombre reminder of the devastation wrought by the virus over the last two years.

“As Covid restrictions end and people return to shul, this is an appropriate time to remember all those families who will have an empty chair at their Purim seudah and Seder table in the coming weeks. We hope and pray all those who have lost a loved one will be spared further suffering.

He also paid tribute to “the United Synagogue Burial Society for their extraordinary work.

“Colleagues have had to conduct hundreds more funerals during the pandemic, a figure tragically exacerbated by Covid-19, particularly in 2020.

“Despite these intense and unparalleled pressures – on our rabbis, chevra kadisha volunteers, gravediggers, administrative team and cemeteries staff – every single family was afforded time, care and attention. We thank them and colleagues in burial boards across the country for all that they have done.”

The Movement for Reform Judaism said it is “devastated by the news of 1000 Covid deaths within the Community. Just as we are by the tens of thousands from all other faiths and none who’ve been lost to this terrible pandemic.”

 Rabbi Charley Baginsky, Chief Executive of Liberal Judaism: commented: “It’s easy to forget as the world eases itself into a new reality of living with Covid, that people are still dying.

“Reaching this figure is a humbling reminder of all those we have lost, how hard our community – alongside every other one- has been hit and also the continuing impact this virus has on our lives.”