Jewish businessman offers home and jobs to couple ‘left with nothing’ after Kay’s fire

The Jewish owner of a care provider in Barnet has housed a couple left homeless after the fire at Kay’s kosher deli in Golders Green, and has given them both jobs.

Larry Berkowitz of Bluebird Care stepped in after hearing that the couple, Sil and Riv  both in their 20s, had been “left with nothing” and “sleeping on the streets,” with one sleeping on a bench and the other sleeping underneath it.

“I heard about it on Facebook,” said Berkowitz, whose company provides home-care across the borough. “Luckily we had a flat vacant so we’ve given that to them for a month or two, rent-free, until they find their feet, and we have also given them both jobs, as they were looking for employment when the fire broke out.”

The arrangements were being hastily made on Thursday, after Berkowitz heard about the couple’s plight on Wednesday evening.

“We understand that they weren’t insured, so they’ve lost everything,” he said. “There’s a local fund-raising effort underway to help them replace lost furniture and goods. Hopefully the jobs should help them too. We’ll start their training next week.”

No-one was hurt in the fire at Kay’s Deli on Sunday, but another couple lost their three-year old dog Daisy, after she raised the alarm. The cause of the blaze, on Princes Parade, Golders Green Road, is as yet unknown.