Rabbi Mayer Zarchi spends a lot of time in hospitals. As a volunteer chaplain, he has guided hundreds of patients across Boston through Covid-19.

“People are lonely and afraid,” Zarchi said. “Sharing some human warmth is very efficacious to health. When people feel a sense of confidence and care for what they’re going through, it engenders trust and hope that they’ll pull through.”

Zarchi, a Rabbi at Central Synagogue, interacts with chaplains of other faiths on a regular basis.

“We’re all there to help people heal and be their best selves again,” he said.

Chaplains and spiritual leaders can provide reassurance in a way that doctors sometimes cannot.

“The fact that I’m not just a part of the medical staff makes a difference, assuring patients that it all makes sense and that things are looking like they’re heading in the right direction.” Zarchi said.

Administering care in a hospital has put Zarchi in a high exposure environment. In February, he contracted covid. While he has since recovered, the past few weeks were a painful confrontation with the virus he’s comforted so many through. It has now been a year since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. Governor Baker’s first statewide stay-at-home advisory was announced on March 24, 2020. Across the state, there have been over 590 thousand coronavirus cases and over 16 thousand deaths due to the disease.

Zarchi’s covid case came just as Massachusetts entered Phase II of vaccination. This phase includes individuals 65 and older, those with two or more underlying medical conditions, and residents or staff of low-income or affordable senior housing. Starting in April, the vaccine is expected to be available to the general public. Over 700 thousand people are now fully vaccinated in Massachusetts.

Hospitalizations, deaths, and new cases have dropped significantly in state and across the country since January. The state is in Phase 3, Step 2 of reopening, loosening capacity limits on restaurants and indoor venues. Governor Baker has announced plans to bring elementary school students back to school full-time by April.

For now, most classes remain virtual, as do services at Central Synagogue and many religious congregations across the city. But with spring and more vaccinations on the horizon, “I’m very optimistic and hopeful for the months ahead,” Zarchi said.