Hungarian Jewish ‘Son of Saul’ Actor Volunteers as Ambulance Assistant in New York During Coronavirus Crisis
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Hungarian Jewish actor and poet Géza Röhrig — best known for his lead role in the Academy Award-winning 2015 film “Son of Saul” — is volunteering in New York as an ambulance assistant, he revealed in a Facebook live appearance on Monday.
Röhrig said during the Hungarian-language interview that seven years ago he had worked in the ambulance service for six months, Hungary Today reported.
When the number of coronavirus cases escalated in New York City, his former boss called him and asked him to help out. Röhrig explained that he had to complete a six-hour course and take an exam before re-entering the service.
The actor added that for years now he has also been washing dead bodies in the New York, according to Muslim and Jewish customs.
He said that he helped wash the bodies of three deceased coronavirus patients on Sunday and all three of them were given online funerals.
Close relatives were permitted to be present at the funerals, but most of the participants attended the ceremonies online, he explained.