The Virus: every block, every street, every family

The Malach HaMaves is Going Crazy

Chesed Shel Emes: Coronavirus is 'hitting every block, every street, every family'
According to Sprio, during a regular week his organization usually considers 6-10 people "busy," but now, during the coronavirus crisis, sometimes the organization handles 35-40 people per day.

In some cases, he said, the burial is temporary, since the family had planned to bury the deceased in Israel but cannot do so due to the lack of flights and the cost - over $200,000 - of a private flight.

Spiro also said that the descriptions of what's happening in New York are not exaggerated: "What we're seeing now, is it's hitting every block, every street, every family."

"We're seeing generations of rabbis being wiped out, leaders in the community, teachers, and grandparents and grandmothers and siblings and unfortunately even fathers and mothers," he said. "The numbers are much higher in the older community but we see people unfortunately, 39, 35, 40....there's no limit to the craziness, to the tragedy."

Since hospitals are not currently allowing those without coronavirus to say goodbye to their loved ones, Chesed Shel Emes also offers a hotline for people to call, with prayers recorded in both English and Yiddish, as well as encouragement that it's not over until it's over. "We try to empower the person to still have complete faith that their situation is dire but not sealed...and we pray to G-d for a more positive outcome."

"We are not tracking it actively but we are getting feedback from all over the world that our services and our hotline is being utilized," he added.

"I like to think that we are providing a service that probably no one else would provide. And although the work that we do is hard and the work that we do is depressing, we're helping families. Although the outcome is often really sad...we are able to console the family, or help them in their last moments." And if the finances are the problem, he says, Chesed Shel Emet can help.

"I think it's really hard for our members and the work that they're doing, it's almost 24/7, but I think that the work that we do, it's not for us...it's for the World to Come. And I think that our members are really uplifted by the service that they provide for people in their times of sorrow.”

Source: arutzsheva