Teacher blames parents for breaking COVID-19 restrictions, dies of virus
"The authorities are certain about families who violated isolation or did not follow the municipality's instructions, not to send in children who have a family member in isolation in their home."
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFView of the Gan Nayot kindergarten in Jerusalem as they return to kindergarden on May 10, 2020(photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
A kindergarten teacher from Petah Tikva, 64-year-old Shalva Zalfreind, passed away on Friday after contracting coronavirus, Channel 13 reported.Two weeks prior to her death, Zalfreind claimed in a Whatsapp group with her students’ parents that some families are not upholding the coronavirus restrictions applied by the government, saying that “the authorities are certain there are families that violated isolation or did not follow the municipality’s instructions, not to send in children who have a family member in isolation in their home.“Unfortunately, there were those who preferred to send the child to kindergarten out of a feeling of Israeli ‘trust,’ while fatally damaging an important value of ‘mutual responsibility’ and ‘[Thou shalt not] stand idly by the blood of thy neighbor’ [Leviticus 19:16],” Zalfreind wrote. “For me, it no longer matters who I contracted [the virus] from and who violated isolation. I just beg and ask for the grandparents, neighbors and older uncles who surround us and do not deserve to die, even if they have such and such preexisting medical conditions.“God forbid I blame anyone. Let that not be understood from what I said. God’s hand turned the circumstances around and that was what got me out of the difficult situation I was in,” she added.“My words may be difficult to read, but they were written with all my heart and in the prayer that I will soon be able to get out of the journey I have been assigned to. Thank God I am recovering and the most difficult stage of the disease is already behind me. If there is but one person who read my things and understood the importance of the isolation restrictions - it would be rewarding. Really love each and every one of you. A big hug for the kids.”The Teachers’ Union and Petah Tikva Mayor Rami Grinberg eulogized Zalfreind, saying that “Shalva was a respected and beloved teacher who educated the children of Israel from an early age. She apparently contracted the virus in the kindergarten where she worked and died after being infected with coronavirus approximately three weeks ago. She is survived by two sons and four daughters.”
