I learned the meaning of Jewish community during my four years as a young professional in Boston. Through the plethora of CJP’s campus and young adult programming, I met so many kind and wonderful people while learning about Jewish tradition.
These connections proved helpful even once I realized that what I actually wanted to do professionally was move to Israel and assist in the medical field. For two years now, CJP on Campus has provided me with a scholarship to study at the University of Haifa’s Nursing School.
As I approach the end of my studies, I am currently assisting the country by working rounds in the emergency room of a hospital in Haifa, northern Israel’s largest city.
The process is that anyone who is diagnosed or suspected of coronavirus has a special entrance for emergency treatments, away from the rest of the patients. The ward I’m in is in the basement with about 30 patients, about half of whom are intubated, and mostly elderly.
Our protective equipment standards are the same as in the U.S. We use N95 masks, face shields and protective overalls. We’ve had a huge spike in the last few days, bringing us to almost 5,000 new cases per day.
Israel has imposed a lockdown that began with Rosh Hashanah and will last until after Sukkot. This means if you’re not doing something essential like getting groceries, you’ll be fined 500 shekels for being more than 500 meters from your home.
I’m thrilled to be helping in my new country and am thankful for the support of the Boston Jewish community in allowing me to help others.
Learn more about CJP scholarships here.
Natan Loyfman was born in Ukraine and attended CUNY Brooklyn in New York City. After graduating, he moved to Boston to work in the clean energy industry. He is now completing his nursing degree at the University of Haifa.
