Hi, let me introduce myself: I am Eli W. Schlossberg and I’m kind of new in town. How can I say that, you ask, when I was born at Sinai Hospital in 1950? Well, I’m talking about the “new” town of Baltimore. Let me describe the Baltimore I knew, and then you will understand.

Sinai Hospital? No, not the one off Northern Parkway; in those days it was located on Ann and Monument Streets. My family davened at a Shearith Israel – no, not the one on Glen Avenue. It was located on McCulloh Street off North Avenue. We shopped at Wasserman and Lemberger – no, not the one on Reisterstown Road; it was on Whitlock Street and then on Park Heights, and it was indeed owned by Mr. Bernie Wasserman and Mr. Sol Lemberger.

The ever-increasing complexity of our medical system has made accessing quality health care very challenging. This reality has given birth to a new field called independent patient advocacy. Many people have heard of patient advocates but have only a vague idea of who they are and what they do. Patient advocates are usually nurses, sometimes doctors, and, occasionally, savvy individuals with no medical training but extensive personal experience with the medical world. Having a patient advocate by your side reduces the stress of a health crisis, at the very least, and can save your life at the most.

I am a patient advocate, and the following stories will give you an idea of what I do.

Last year, we bought tickets to fly to Israel for Shavuos to celebrate my son’s bar mitzva. We couldn’t afford regular priced tickets and were grateful to see Dan’s Deals advertise an unbeatable deal through Air Serbia. I think it was around $260 round trip per person! Yes, it was inconvenient – we had to stay overnight in Serbia on the way back –but there were plenty of other Yidden in the same “boat,” and we all found each other and made arrangements to stay at Airbnbs and get food from Chabad.

Jews will do anything to celebrate simchas, even if it means creating a “drive-by” bar mitzvah, like the one my nextdoor neighbors planned for their son during the pandemic. Wearing his new black hat pushed back on his head and a personalized tee shirt, the star of the simcha stood behind a table in front of a balloon arch. As cars passed by, his parents gave out bags of wrapped sweets and mini-monogrammed basketballs. The boy’s friends jumped out of cars and ran up to the table to briefly wish their classmate mazel tov and, with an individual Sharpie, sign his board. When we walked out of our house, the bar mitzvah boy ran over and, from several feet away (maybe it wasn’t six, but only for a few seconds), he handed us a bag of those sweets. His face was shining.

About a year ago, just after the height of COVID intensity, a group in my shul gathered to consider what kind of COVID compliant activity we could do to enable people to socialize safely. We agreed that the activity should be outdoors to reduce the risk of transmission. After some discussion, I agreed to lead a Perek Shira hike along one of the local waterways.

Perek Shira is a beautiful text from Talmudic times which links items in creation with verses in the Torah. As we experienced nature together, we had so much to talk about regarding the water, the trees, and the wildlife that we encountered. About midway in the hike, we stopped to rest, and I introduced the group to a little sport I love, called “launching.”

I love wraps, and the Nine Days is an awesome time to work on – and eat! – them. First of all, they are easy to eat. Second, they are so flexible in terms of ingredients. Have a favorite roast vegetable? It can go in your wrap. Have a favorite dip? Roasted garlic? Baba ganoush? Spinach dip? Roasted red pepper dip? They can go in your wrap! Wraps can be made from whatever you have on hand; you can certainly make a peanut butter and jelly wrap or a cream cheese with cucumbers one. You can wrap your wrap like a cylinder or like a burrito. Wraps are quick, filling, and easy to take with you on a hike.  

One of the only jobs on this earth where a person is veritably on call 24/7 is the occupation of a shadchan. As such, when a woman starts making shidduchim, she will find herself a nomenclator for landmarks around the world – landmarks named after her dating couples: some who get married and some who don’t. Dating singles have these landmarks as well, but from a different angle, and singles’ parents do as well.

As the economy begins to open and demand for service rapidly grows, certain industries, such as hospitality, retail, and more, are facing a shortage of employees. In fact, during Memorial Day weekend, some beaches and parks across the country could not open due to lack of staff. To tackle this obstacle head-on, some companies are advertising using new channels to recruit talent, like posting signs in their storefronts and neighborhood listservs. They are even offering sign-on and retention bonuses as incentives to prospective employees.

I grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, and attended the Spinka and then the Satmar cheder there. While in Satmar, I learned first-hand their unbelievable quest to do chesed, collect tzedaka for others, and help people in need – a trait which makes Satmar shine in its own unique piece of the puzzle that is Am Yisrael. At the same time, I learned about Satmar’s strict view on the concept of Eretz Yisrael in today’s age, lumping most positive aspects of Eretz Yisrael today under the blanket term of “Tzionus.” I even participated in many of the protests. Because of this upbringing, I lacked any connection to the Land and its history, including any yearning for it. The thought of living there never crossed my mind, unless a supernatural phenomenon would start happening. Then, we, the Satmar chasidim, would surely be allowed a front seat to the excitement of Mashiach, because we had it right and everyone else, sadly, had bowed to the avoda zara. So, I thought, until…

After 16 months of COVID, we are all still being challenged in manifold ways. It seems to me that one of the “tests” that we are experiencing is in the area of v’ahavta lerayacha kamocha, loving others as ourselves! “Loving” others is not simple! In fact, how we love those around us may reveal who we are!