Two yeshivahs in New York state have found unique approaches to helping medical professionals combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv in Nassau County assembled what is being described as a “field hospital” for coronavirus patients inside its gym and other areas in the school, and is working with Northwell Health, New York’s largest hospital system, to make it operational, said health and local officials.
A Northwell spokesperson said the hospital is negotiating with the yeshivah about opening the location for moderately ill, “low-acuity” COVID-19 patients, and that state and local approvals are still needed before the facility can begin running, reported Newsday.
Meanwhile, Beit Midrash of Great Neck, located in Long Island, has turned into a makeshift distribution center so that thousands of masks and hand sanitizer dispensers can be delivered, for free, to New York City hospitals, Jewish Insider reported.
“My feeling was that if we’re not going to help the people who are helping us, that’s just very callous,” said Rabbi Eitan Rubin, head of the yeshivah.
Rubin and his business associate, Stephen Odzer, found investors to help buy the masks and hand sanitizer. Odzer, who distributes janitorial supplies and other products, also gave an initial charitable donation of $100,000 worth of supplies.
Rubin has already delivered 35,000 N95 respirator masks and 4,000 hand-sanitizer dispensers to hospitals in New York. Another order of 50,000 masks and 8,000 dispensers is expected to arrive in New York this week, he said. He added that he has also obtained two ventilators while raising money for his cause.
On March 30, he set up a GoFundMe page that has already raised nearly $400,000.
