Jewish communities send well wishes to Queen after positive COVID test
Members of the Jewish community in the United Kingdom have wished Queen Elizabeth a speedy recovery after Buckingham Palace revealed that she tested positive for COVID-19.
New Zealand governor-general designate Dame Cindy Kiro on a virtual call with Queen Elizabeth, Oct. 18, 2021. Credit: New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General via Wikimedia Commons
The monarch, 95, is experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms” but expects to continue her “light duties” at Windsor Castle, where she lives, the palace said in a statement over the weekend. “She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.”
Ephraim Mirvis, chief rabbi of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, sent the queen well wishes on Sunday. He said on Twitter: “I extend my heartfelt best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen and others in the Royal Household for a refuah shlemah—a complete and speedy recovery.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews similarly wrote on Twitter: “We are sorry to hear that HM the Queen has tested positive for COVID and wish her a speedy recovery. Refuah shlemah.”
The United Synagogue, a union of British Orthodox Jewish synagogues, said it “wishes Her Majesty a refuah shlemah—a full and speedy recovery.” Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said on behalf of the organization, “we wish Her Majesty the Queen a full and speedy recovery. She is in our thoughts and prayers.”
A number of people have tested positive for COVID at Windsor Castle, reported the BBC. The queen’s eldest son, Prince Charles, tested positive on Feb. 10 following a meeting with his mother two days earlier.
In Australia, The Executive Council of Australian Jewry told J-Wire: “We wish the Queen a refuah shlema, a speedy and complete recovery. When shules in Australia recite the prayer for the royal family this Shabbat we will be thinking of her and looking forward to her return to normal duties.”
The New Zealand Jewish Council stated: “The NZJC wish all those with COVID-19 and, in particular, the Queen a speedy and full recovery.”
JNS/J-Wire
