You never truly know an organization until you are a recipient of its services. My husband and I arrived at the Johns Hopkins emergency room the Saturday night prior to Rosh Hashanah. After spending the night in the emergency room, we were escorted to a hospital room on one of the floors.
While the physicians were deciding
how to care for my husband, I was scrutinizing the hospital menu. Hopkins
offers its patients and their caregivers kosher food supplied by Accents, a
real gift to the Jewish community.
Another option presented itself
Monday morning, erev Rosh Hashanah,
when I received a call from Stacey Goldenberg, the director of the Jewish
Caring Network. They provide kosher meals to Tikva House, a residence near the
hospital for out-of-town families with relatives in the hospital. The occupants
had all gone home, and they had extra meals already ordered. Would I like the
food? I hesitated, not knowing what I would do with Yom Tov meals in a hospital
room. Stacey suggested I asked the nurse for a small refrigerator. Sure enough,
the chaplain’s office sent one up within the hour. Next followed plans to obtain
the food from the Knish Shop, Pariser’s Bakery, and Chef Dan at the JCC. The latter
supplied the most tasty and creative simanim
platter I had ever seen. Arrangements were made, the food arrived, and all of
it was delicious.
Another gem is Bikur Cholim’s
Kosher Hospitality Room located near the chaplain’s office inside the hospital.
A room with table and chairs, cupboards filled with paper goods and items for
Shabbos, baskets of wrapped pastries, and a refrigerator filled with
sandwiches, milk, yogurts, wraps, etc. Open 24 hours a day, it is a welcoming place
to grab a snack or even a meal. Not to have to worry about food is a relief
when there are more important matters at hand.
Initially, when we had thought we
would be able to go home on the first or second day of Yom Tov, I was given the
name of a driver who would pick us up at the hospital and take us home. When I asked
him how I would pay him, he replied, “Not to worry, Bikur Cholim takes care of
it.” At that point, tears of appreciation and gratitude rolled down my face. I
felt enveloped by a caring and compassionate community.
Many years ago, I started and
directed a Jewish information and referral service for our community. We had these
resources in our computer, and our volunteers referred callers to them. My
husband and I contributed to these organizations. However, I lived in this city
and assumed I would never need these services myself. One never knows.
The final kind gesture involved
the chaplain’s visit to our room to alert us to a shofar blowing that would
occur between four and five on both afternoons of Rosh Hashanah outside a
designated entrance to the hospital. When we arrived, Rabbi Levi Druk, the
Chabad Rabbi of Downtown Baltimore, was there with a gentleman who blew the
shofar. It was such a meaningful experience to share in this mitzva despite
being in the hospital.
With our machzorim in hand, the support of our family, the beneficence of
our community, and outstanding professional care, we spent an unusual and
uplifting Aseres Yemei Teshuva in the hospital.
The organizations that I mentioned
offer many other services in addition to those we benefited from. We are
thankful to Hashem for our community and for my husband’s refuah sheleima.
