Family’s fundraiser to thank NHS staff

IN-LAWS HARVEY Kleiman and Carol Kleiman were admitted to St James’s Hospital in Leeds after testing positive for coronavirus.

Carol Kleiman passed away, aged 78. Mr Kleiman 84, is now in a stable condition and the family was hopeful of him returning home this week.

As thanks for the care that the two received, the family set up a JustGiving page to raise money for NHS doctors and staff, which has brought in several thousand pounds.

“It is heartbreaking for us all that we have not been able to be with [our relatives] at this terrible time,” they said. “But what has helped as been the care and compassion shown by the doctors and nurses — for example, the nurse who stayed after her shift to sit with

Harvey when he received the awful news about Carol. We know the teams cannot get food in the hospital. Their canteens are closed. We would like to send some food and other treats to help sustain them as they support all the people in their care.”

Mr Kleiman’s daughter, Frances Flaxington, said vouchers would be sent to staff members, enabling them to select their own treats.

THE LIBERAL congregations in York and Reading are shining examples of the reaction of small communities to the pandemic.

In York, the 80-member group has actually increased its Shabbat services. It previously held one a month in the local Friends Meeting House, led by student rabbi Peter Luyendijk. It now convenes weekly on Zoom, with members conducting the service.

“I suspect like most communities we’re learning about Zoom as we go along,” said Ben Rich, 54, one of the York founders.

“Our first service was reasonably chaotic because we took a decision on principle not to mute people. Rather than have a livestream of a beautiful service being performed by a rabbi somewhere else, we tried to get everybody to join in. That made some of the reading together difficult.

“But the opportunity to hear other voices — to feel part of the community — was more important than if Adon Olam came with 17 different echoes to a number of different tunes.”

Mr Rich added that the community chair had arranged a delivery from Leeds of Seder essentials which had been difficult to source locally.

In Reading meanwhile, the community of just 40 families has experienced its first Shabbat service on Zoom, led by part-time rabbi Dr Miri Lawrence, and is also using Zoom for erev Shabbat kiddushim.

Community secretary Jane Carpenter told the JC that what had been “really lovely” was the engagement of “people who have maybe been in the background and not come to services that often. Suddenly they are popping up on a screen every time we get together electronically.”

Ms Carpenter, 60, said that even their oldest member, a 95-year-old, had been dialling into the Zoom gatherings. The quarterly newsletter she compiles has become a weekly update. A 93-year-old living alone said she read it cover to cover as it helped to combat the loneliness.

“Because we’re a small community, we’re more like a big family,” Ms Carpenter added. “So we’re acutely aware of those people who are maybe on their own, unable to get out and who need help getting things.”