Holocaust survivors, all of whom are in the age group that is the most vulnerable, are facing particular difficulties during the coronavirus crisis.
The Tablet reported in Brooklyn's Crown Heights, one of the epicenters of the pandemic, a tight-knit community of Hassidic Jews live that includes many Holocaust survivors.
Alexander Rapaport, director of the neighborhood's Masbia soup kitchen, told the publication that "now we have the last remnants of the survivors of Auschwitz [in the community].
"We're in danger of losing all of them," he continued, adding, "It's a horrible thing to have on your conscience, of putting the last nail in the coffin of their generation."
Elsewhere in New York, A. Romi Cohn, a prominent rabbi and Holocaust survivor from Staten Island, died after contracting the coronavirus at age 92, the New York Post reported.
Cohn, a mohel who performed thousands of circumcisions, was born in Czechoslovakia and fought against the Nazis with the Jewish partisans.
The dire situation of Holocaust survivors is also reflected in other Jewish communities worldwide, where groups are gearing up to help them. For example, in Cincinnati, several Jewish organizations have made sure their needs are particularly looked after, Fox19 reported.
Food parcels are delivered to them as, with other elderly, it is dangerous for them to leave their homes. In addition, medical needs are taken care of and contact is maintained to keep up their spirits and make sure there are no other problems.
And in Israel, the country's first fatality from coronavirus was a Holocaust survivor, 88-year-old Aryeh Even, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Even was born in Hungary and rebuilt his life in Israel after World War II. He was survived by four children, 18 grandchildren, and one great-grandson.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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