Good Samaritan showed me the meaning of Jewish care
Richard Ferrer has been editor of Jewish News since 2009. As one of Britain's leading Jewish voices he writes for The Times, Independent, New Statesman and many other titles. Richard previously worked at the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, edited the Boston Jewish Advocate and created the Channel 4 TV series Jewish Mum Of The Year.
By Clive ROSLIN, Presenter, Sunday Jewish Radio.
Earlier this year, two days before Yom Kippur, an extraordinary thing happened to me after I left the headquarters of Jewish Care.
I had been there to record my contribution to the weekly radio programme broadcast on Spectrum Radio on Sundays at noon called Sunday Jewish Radio. I am glad to say that the programme has a growing audience and can be heard for the remainder of the week on the internet. I’m also proud to say that one of my regular guests on the show is the editor of the Jewish News, Richard Ferrer.
On that fateful day, the eighth of the ten days of penitence, I really learned the truth of a very personal Jewish care.
I left Jewish Care in Golders Green in the early afternoon to go to the road, a short walk away where my car was parked. I got into my car and started turning it around to drive home. The road had cars parked all the way along it and there were many people walking along. As I turned to go home, my right foot somehow slipped from the brake to the accelerator and, before I knew it, I went through what seemed like the sound barrier into what was probably the largest tree in the whole of London!
The miracle was that only the tree was hit and nothing else. I managed to get out of the car in a state of complete shock. Then I was blessed by Hashem. The most fantastic woman suddenly opened her front door and welcomed me into her house. She sat me down and then I found I had been helped by a woman who provided me with her own personal Jewish care, which I shall never forget and will always remember with heartfelt gratitude.
I was in deep shock and my chest was full of pain. This wonderful lady had no idea who I was but that made no difference as she sat me down, made tea and gave me biscuits and a glass of water. She rang an ambulance, the police and took my AA number and phoned them too. I called my daughter and asked her to fetch me.
The police came and were very sympathetic and I left saying that nobody else had been hurt nor were any other cars damaged and they were quite satisfied. The two ambulance people arrived very quickly and assured me that after a very careful examination, I had no broken bones or anything that needed urgent hospital treatment.
The lady, who was clearly frum, managed to move my car, with help from a friend, away from the tree and parked it in the street, or more accurately, pushed it into a parking space. She kept checking me to make sure I was all right.
When my daughter arrived, she helped me into my car and, for the first time, discovered that we were co-religionists when I thanked her deeply and wished her ‘’well over the fast’’ and ‘’Shana Tovah’’. On the journey home, I received a welcome text from this wonderful woman, telling me that the AA had arrived to collect my car and would be delivering the vehicle within 40 minutes to my house, which it did.
Naturally, I sent her some flowers with my more than grateful thanks. Although I had whiplash and very bad bruises, the Almighty was with me and this truly blessed woman gave me great succour and sympathy. She provided me with absolutely true and personal Jewish care.
I will forever be more than grateful to her and hope that the Almighty will truly bless her and her family for a good year.
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