The frequency and duration of Schmeltzer’s visit can vary with each case.
“It is generally a half hour to an hour,” said Mezei. “For some of the more frail patients, a half hour was plenty. In the case of my neighbor, Lipa was there for over an hour.”
According to Mezei, Americare is excited to be offering music therapy.
“This is really a free service that we are offering as a gift to give back to the community and there are no strings attached,” said Mezei. “This is totally l’shem mitzvah.”
A letter of gratitude for the program, written by the Braun family in Boro Park, is just one example of the positive feedback that Americare has gotten for the program.
“Our dear mother, an Auschwitz survivor, has been an active member of the Boro Park community for the past 65 years. Although the status of her health remains compromised, her love of Yiddishkeit and bitachon in Hashem has never ebbed. On the contrary, it shines through even brighter, like a shining star in the darkest of night, empowering her spirit.
“At this point in her life, the only activity that resonates joy is music and song. Lipa’s soft singing and brilliant lyrics embodied with the concepts of bitachon and Moshiach, which are the essence of our mother, truly resonated within her. The smile on her face and her voluntary participation as he performed gave testimony to that.
“As for us, her children, we can’t thank you enough for a most memorable experience shared with our mother, at her bedside, providing memories to last a lifetime!”
For more information on MusiCare, contact Americare at 718-872-2630.
