A Taste Of Chesed

Dear Editor,

Anyone who has ever endured a medical crisis knows that time stands still and all sense of normalcy disappears. When my child had a medical scare and I became the recipient of great kindness, I realized the true importance of chesed. We were admitted to Long Island Jewish Cohen Children’s Hospital and were unprepared. When my child finally awoke from anesthesia and was allowed to eat, he was starving but did not want to eat the hospital food. We were told to go to the bikur cholim room. Imagine our surprise to see it fully stocked with our son’s favorite food from Carlos and Gabby’s! It was also full of delicious dairy meals. It was really a lifesaver. This is a feeling that was shared by so many of the patients and their families.

I did research and found out who started this program, which is 100-percent donated and run by volunteers. Although she did not want her name mentioned, she did provide me with the names of the volunteers whom I would like to thank in this forum.

Firstly a big thank-you to Adam Kaye of Carlos and Gabby’s who provides fresh, delicious food to both North Shore and LIJ hospitals. Thank-you to his manager Robby who always makes sure the food is prepared for delivery. Another thank-you to the Katz family of Elite Caterers for providing all the delicious dairy meals and sandwiches.

There are many wonderful women who volunteer to deliver the food despite their busy schedules. A tremendous thank-you to Shoshana Korn, who is there every Monday doling out words of encouragement while feeding everyone. Other volunteers include Sharon Friedman, Atara Habib, Tova Rosenfeld, Nechama Eisenberger, Sara Bozcko, Julie Feinberg, and Miriam Lichtman.

I sincerely hope that no one will ever need these services, but it is so comforting to know that in a crisis we are looking out for each other with such caring and compassion.

Anonymous

Help, When It Counts

Dear Editor,

In the last month, my family has been going through an extremely difficult time. We almost lost our 28-year-old husband and father due to complications of surgery. Baruch Hashem he is alive and recovering; however, he still needs our tefillos. That being said, I need to take the time to personally let the community know of some special people in our town.

For starters, we just had a beautiful Achiezer dinner. Boruch Ber Bender is an exceptional person and truly deserves to be called out on this. He was there for me every step of the way. He worked to make sure my husband had the best care while in the hospital. His secretaries–Aliza, Elkie, Esther, and Hinda Sorah–went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure Boruch Ber was always in touch with me, whatever it took! I commend and thank them all!

Next on my list are some of the exceptional doctors in the community. Dr. Zev Carrey is a truly caring and understanding doctor. He was in touch with me on a daily basis to see how my husband was doing. He taught me what was important and how to understand certain aspects of my husband’s medical care. If you are not using him as a doctor, you should switch. Dr. Hylton Lightman was also there each time I had a question or if I wasn’t sure about something. He is a wonderful pediatrician with a heart of gold!

I also cannot thank enough the many wonderful families in this community who were there for my children and me. Whether it was food, childcare, or visitors, there was no such thing as “No, I can’t. Sorry!” This community shows the epitome of what chesed is all about. We are there for each other in times of need and in times of joy. When my husband did finally come home after three weeks, not only were there tears of joy, but there was mamesh a simcha permeating the community. I would like to thank this amazing community for everything they did, including storming the gates of Shamayim to make Hashem bring my kids’ Totty home! Please continue to daven for Yosef Shalom ben Bluma Rissel.

Sincerely,

Samantha Wiseman

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