Some suggestions are so obviously sensible that the mere mention of them is enough to win support. Our lead letter this week, from Juliet Moss, makes just such a suggestion. A national Covid memorial is already under discussion, but there is a compelling case for other, specific forms of remembrance — such as for medical staff who lost their lives saving others. In our own community, the loss of over 900 people would in any circumstance be a tragedy which needs to be marked. But it was made far worse by the vast majority having had to be mourned in special burial services, many without family allowed to be present and the rest permitting only a tiny number of mourners. None had shivas. The desolation was overwhelming.

A memorial would not just be a way for the community to remember and pay their respects to those who died. It would also give those who were denied the usual comfort of a Jewish burial something that expressed our support for them and a symbol of what they went through. It need only be small, but should be placed somewhere with strong communal ties. In that spirit, we call on the representative bodies of our community, on the various denominations and on others who wish to lend their support to come together and make this worthwhile idea happen.