Lord Sacks: ‘Enduring memory’ of virus will be extraordinary acts of kindness
Former chief rabbi made his remarks during BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day on Friday morning, at the end of Mental Health Awareness Week, themed on kindness
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks has said the “enduring memories” of the coronavirus period will be the acts of kindness it evoked.
He made the comments on BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day on Friday morning, at the end of Mental Health Awareness Week, the theme of which is kindness.
The former Chief Rabbi said kindness was also the theme of the biblical book of Ruth, which is read by Jewish community members next week over the Jewish festival of Shavuot, Pentecost.
“One of the enduring memories of the coronavirus period will be the extraordinary acts of kindness it evoked, from friends, neighbours, and strangers, those who helped us, kept in touch with us, or simply smiled at us,” he said.
“When fate was cruel to us, we were kind to one another. Human goodness emerged when we needed it most. And Mental Health Awareness Week reminds us that some need it more than most.”
His comments echo those he made in a March interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis, in which he said “Bad events like the coronavirus certainly bring out the worst in us, but they also bring out the best.
“All across the country people are asking the elderly and vulnerable whether they can help, young people are delivering medicines to those in-need. It’s a little like the wartime spirit.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
