Kosher Deli manager Naftali Rebibo died following a crash on the M1 on Sunday as he returned from dropping off his step-daughter for a flight at Luton airport. A fund set up to aid the recovery of his wife Rivkah, who was temporarily in a coma, has raised £10,000 in less than four days.
Paying tribute to Mr Rebibo, 65, Kosher Deli area manager Jack Bendahan said: "Naftali gave his time to the community and the synagogue [Zichron Shmuel in Golders Green]. He was a kind man and that's why we're taking care of his family."
Mr Bendahan added that after the crash Mr Rebibo's step-daughter called him to say her plane was about to take off. "The police answered her phone. They got her off the plane and we organised an escort to take her baby daughter back to stay with her father, who learns in kollel in Israel, while she deals with issues here."
Mr Rebibo was buried in Golders Green on Wednesday. A criminal investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Well-wishers worldwide have supported the appeal for Mrs Rebibo, who has undergone four operations and not yet been told of her husband's death. "She's in a critical state and will potentially need two years of rehab," Mr Bendahan said. "She might not be able to walk for another year, or ever again. We need money to help her."