Israel’s vaccination program against the coronavirus is underway, with priority being given to certain age groups, at-risk populations, and people working in various forms of employment that give them enhanced exposure to the virus. A few days ago, the Hevra Kaddisha (the organization of those who prepare the bodies of the deceased for burial according to Jewish law) appealed to the Health Ministry to be included among those given priority status for vaccination – and had their appeal rejected.
In their request to the Ministry, Channel 12 reports, the Hevra Kaddisha noted that their 500 workers, based across the country, by virtue of the nature of their employment are exposed on a daily basis to people who have passed away with/from coronavirus, and therefore are in increased danger of contracting it themselves.
After receiving a negative reply from the Health Ministry, Avraham Manela, the head of the Hevra Kaddisha’s forum, appealed to the Religious Affairs Minister, Yaakov Avitan, and explained that if those working for the Hevra Kaddisha are not vaccinated, they will not be able to continue with their work due to the dangers it exposes them to.
“In the event that our workers are not included among those workers given priority for vaccination at this stage of the program, within a few days we will be forced to cease dealing with the bodies of people who have passed away from coronavirus,” he wrote.
Manela noted that those who work with other, similar organizations such as ZAKA, have, by contrast, been accorded priority status, “and the Health Ministry’s decision is therefore all the more difficult to understand, and displays a total lack of sensitivity to our position.”
He added that, “Those working for the Hevra Kaddisha have been working with dedication and sacrifice from the time when this epidemic broke out, risking their lives to continue their work. I am now appealing to the Ministers of Health and Religious Affairs to reconsider this decision and resolve this issue immediately.”