A hospital stay can be daunting for patients as well as their families. There are many benefits of having loved ones around at this time. Those in the bed have someone to comfort and advocate for them. Those around the bed feel a measure of solace in being there and showing support.
There are times a patient may not be able to communicate effectively with a physician. They may be confused, medicated, or even unconscious. The information given by a spouse, a child, or a friend can be crucial. Sometimes making serious medical decisions can be unnerving. Many are helped by having a person who is trusted and loved by their side. Sometimes just having a hand to hold can ease the pain and get a sick person through the night.
The constraints of visitation on the Sabbath or Jewish holidays has often been a major challenge for those who are shomer Shabbat and do not drive or take public transportation on these days. Some of these individuals wind up sleeping overnight on a chair in the hospital. Some spend an anguished day not knowing what is going on. Some find a hotel or motel, or a friend to stay with, and they walk – sometimes for great distances and in inclement weather.
Rabbi Simeon Schreiber, senior chaplain at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, saw a small room in the hospital that was dark and dismal but could be used for Sabbath guests. He spearheaded fundraising efforts for renovation. With great effort, much work, the gracious cooperation of the hospital, and the decorating skills of his wife, Rose, the Bikur Cholim Room at Mount Sinai was created. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on October 8, 2013.
The room has expanded into a charming studio apartment that includes two twin beds, a kitchenette stocked with kosher snacks and refreshments, a dining area, and full bath. There is a hot water pump, a Shabbat lamp, and “Shabbos in a Box,” which includes a book of prayers and Tehillim, candles, a bottle of grape juice, two challah rolls, a tablecloth, challah cover, and even a flower. The facility is a lifesaver.
Rabbi Schreiber moved to Florida eight years ago and has been a special presence in the Jewish community ever since. A successful businessman in New York, he has smicha from Yeshiva University and is a graduate of the Health Care Institute (HCI) and a board certified member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC).
Rabbi Schreiber has written several books. His Mount Sinai Medical Center Prayer Book is a collection of prayers and mediations for those undergoing medical treatment. It is available in Hebrew and English and there is an all-English edition for the community at large. The rabbi has also authored A Caring Presence, a guideline for what to say and do when visiting patients in a hospital or home and on shivah visits.
For information on reserving the room, call Mount Sinai Hospital at 305-674-2121. You can ask for Rabbi Schreiber. To make a tax deductible contribution to the upkeep and maintenance of this very worthy endeavor, send a check to Rabbi Simeon Schreiber, c/o Mount Sinai Medical Center, 4300 Alton Rad, Miami Beach, Florida 33140.
The Mount Sinai hospital chaplaincy program works in conjunction with The Jewish Federation of Miami.