A member of Alyth (North Western Reform Synagogue) in Golders Green has died from coronavirus. The congregant was a man in his 80s with underlying health conditions.

Alyth’s Rabbi Josh Levy said that in a congregation with around 370 over-80s, “we recognise that sadly, this is one of the issues that we will face.

“We have also had hospitalisations of members but it’s unclear whether they had the virus.”

The synagogue would offer families support and Rabbi Levy pointed out that in a congregation with many elderly members, “lots of people are going to get ill for reasons other than coronavirus”.

He highlighted the “amazing” response of members to the crisis, with more than 200 volunteers offering emotional and practical support to the isolated and vulnerable.

“You cannot take the community for granted when you can’t be there physically [within the synagogue building].”