麻豆约拍

Julia Neuberger, Senior Rabbi at the West London Synagogue:

听

Every Sabbath at my synagogue as part of our services, we read out the names of those who have died in the past week.听 Last week, there was an audible intake of breath as sadly four members of our congregation had died. People were shocked, and upset. We don鈥檛 know why we often get people dying all at the same time like this. Is it a change of weather? A flu virus? Just chance? What we do know is that the effect is cumulative- so after two deaths in a week, people beyond immediate family and friends feel much more upset. Three, and they are really moved. Four- and there is that audible gasp. Any community, faith group, village, neighbourhood, or association feels it needs to help. The first thing we try to do is support people. We support them through shock and grief, of course, and then support them in trying to help those who are bereaved. But what if you don鈥檛 belong to any sort of group? One person I met last week had just moved to London when his wife died. She had no living relatives, and he has very few, and they are in Australia. He鈥檚 certainly busy skyping them, but that鈥檚 not enough. We have bereavement support organisations, and they鈥檙e phenomenally good. But that鈥檚 not enough either. As the rest of us are getting ready for Christmas, or at least a winter break, I can鈥檛 help worrying people about who are quietly desperate. We know about people who are homeless, or who have all sorts of health issues. But the desperately lonely and the recently bereaved who have little support are a quite different group- and I鈥檓 not sure any of us has quite got them in our sights yet. So I intend to keep a lookout, as I am quite sure that my friend who was recently widowed so suddenly, so far from home, is not alone in their grief.