Kol Bogrei Rambam Is the Alumni Council’S Monthly E-Newsletter for and About Maimonides School Graduates
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Kol Bogrei September 2012 ~ Elul-Tishrei-5772-73 Rambam Page 1 of 5 CONNECTING MAIMONIDES ALUMNI WORLDWIDE Kol Bogrei Rambam is the Alumni Council’s monthly e-newsletter for and about Maimonides School graduates. Each month we share infor- mation on individual graduates’ ventures and accomplishments, as well as general news notes, all reflecting the school’s mission of preparing educated, observant Jews to be contributing members of society. Your ideas and accomplishments will help sustain and strengthen this key communications tool; please forward to [email protected]. Graduate Details Brighton Hospital’s Addition of Bikur Cholim Room Nearly three months after the launch of a bikur cholim room at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, the facility has proven to be “a resource not only for patients and their families but for the entire hospital community.” That’s the assessment of Dr. Rebecca (Kolodny) Schwartz ’82, vice chair of radiology at the hospital. A bikur cholim room is a space that observant Jews can use to fulfill religious needs while in the hospital visiting patients. The centrally- located room contains a couch, table Dr. Rebecca Schwartz ‘82 in the bikur cholim room at St. and chairs as well as a refrigerator Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton and a kosher microwave oven. In addition to kosher food, siddurim, She approached hospital administrators to the needy. “The room would never Tehillim books and chumashim are on with a plan to increase outreach efforts have gotten off the ground without the hand. Rebecca said it is a place where to local Orthodox Jews. “They were immense efforts of Mike Hirsh, program patients and visitors “can spend time extremely receptive and they ran with director at ROFEH (husband of Riselle together as a family.” it,” she said, welcoming the opportunity Glass Hirsh ’74 and father of Daniel Rebecca reported that she first to host the first bikur cholim room in Hirsh ’02 and Brittani Hirsh ’11),” learned of the concept of a bikur Boston and developing institution-wide Rebecca said. programming to enable observant Jews cholim room when she chaired the Mike helped coordinate donations and to feel more comfortable at the hospital. Maimonides School Recruitment volunteers for the room. The Butcherie of Committee. During a phone Although the facility was not designed Brookline helps supply the food, and the conversation, a prospective parent as a place where people can sleep, St. room was furnished by several donors, from New Jersey asked which Elizabeth’s has made accommodations including Wingate Healthcare. hospitals in Boston had a bikur cholim to ensure that Jewish families can Rebecca, a member of the Maimonides room. At the time, the answer was: observe Shabbat and Yom Tov. The Board of Directors, told a local reporter none. room has a mechanical lock to facilitate that “being a religious hospital is part of use and is easily accessible by stairs. St. “The idea of opening a bikur cholim our mission. Serving religious persons of Elizabeth’s also is within the boundaries room sat in the back of my head for a all faiths is something that this institution of the Greater Boston Eruv. long time,” she said. Then a couple of values… I hope in the long run every years ago, “it occurred to me that St. The room was developed in partnership hospital in Boston will provide what St. Elizabeth’s is a community hospital with ROFEH International, the Bostoner Elizabeth’s has so eagerly provided for its that was not serving a segment of its Rebbe’s chesed organization that patients,” immediate community.” provides medical referrals and support Visit Maimonides on Facebook Follow our Twitter feed, KolRambam Subscribe to our YouTube channel, MaimoTube Kol Bogrei September 2012 ~ Elul-Tishrei-5772-73 Rambam Page 2 of 5 CONNECTING MAIMONIDES ALUMNI WORLDWIDE Hospitalized Children Inspire Alumni to Train for Grueling Bicycle Ride in Israel There’s something about a child over- “The Friends of ALYN Hospital encour- coming great odds that can inspire aged us to tour the facility, meeting others to reach a little higher. and befriending the patients and witnessing the incredible state-of-the- That’s why Dr. Michael Wiener ’84 art rehabilitation that is accomplished and his father Marvin are training for there. Seeing the children was an their second Wheels of Love fund- incredible inspiration to return year raising bicycle ride in support of ALYN after year,” he continued. “Last year, Hospital on the outskirts of Jerusalem. together with my father, we raised They are like hundreds of other cyclists, $10,000. It was amazing to ride side by including oher Maimonides graduates, side with Jews from 12 different coun- who say that the patients and staff at tries and bond over such a meaningful the hospital are all the motivation they common cause.” need. Eli, who lives in Jerusalem, said he The Wieners’ companion along the was introduced to the ALYN ride five five-day route will be this year’s years ago. “I was struck by the amazing chairman of the 2012 Wheels of Love opportunity of spending five days bike Organizing Committee, Eli Kazhdan riding, sometimes rather competitively, ’85. throughout Israel, and at the same “The ALYN Hospital is one of the time raising money for an amazing and world’s leading specialists in the active important cause,” he said. and intensive rehabilitation of children, Michael, left and Marvin Wiener at the 2011 ALYN Ride Overseeing the ride is a volunteer regardless of their religion or ethnic board of Israeli riders. Eli joined the origin, who are afflicted with a broad board about two years ago, and last All of these children had benefited in range of physical disabilities,” said Eli. year was asked to be chairman. “Like some way from the Wheels of Love “The ultimate aim of ALYN is to reha- any board of a sizeable operation, it campaigns.” bilitate the youngsters in its care and involves some time investment. But to return them to their families and to “One of the life lessons I took away seeing the faces of the kids for whom the community as quickly as possible, from my ALYN experience was their we organize the ride makes it all very having provided them with the skills to motto: ‘Transforming disabilities into much worthwhile,” he testified. function as independently as possible.” abilities’,” he continued. “This was Michael now spends his summers in most inspiring because, as hard as we The bicycle ride is the cornerstone of New England “training with local bike worked to tackle the mountainous ALYN’s fundraising activities, raising clubs as well as on my own in order to terrain of Israel, we knew that the about $2.5 million sponsorships from prepare myself for the mountains of children struggled just as hard in each about 300 riders annually. Israel. I am discovering the countryside small step they took toward their own “I heard about the Wheels of Love ride of my northeast region, and am always rehabilitation.” from riders who have gone multiple on the lookout for new routes in my “I am proud to stand by my fellow times and raved about their experi- preparation.” alumni to live out the values I learned ences,” said Michael, who lives in New “Last year, after the first night of riding, at Maimonides, in continuing the Haven. “Last year, while my daughter I was particularly inspired by a presen- directive of the Rav, ‘That the Jew was spending her gap year studying at tation that correlated the funds raised must share in the destiny of his people Midreshet HaRova, I thought it would with the direct impact on the children,” and be concerned in the destiny of be a perfect opportunity to fulfill my Michael related. “I was touched by mankind’.” dream of participating in the ride while stories of individual patients. Some also having a glimpse into my daugh- Supporters can access Michael’s fund- had suffered injuries from terrorist ter’s year.” raising page using the following link: attacks, while others were cancer survi- vors or victims of congenital defects. http://www.wolusa.org/michaelwiener Kol Bogrei September 2012 ~ Elul-Tishrei-5772-73 Rambam Page 3 of 5 CONNECTING MAIMONIDES ALUMNI WORLDWIDE Rabbi Wohlgemuth’s Lessons on Days of Awe Tefillah Continue to Resonate D’var Torah by Abe Katz ‘71 bracha of Malchuyot and Kedushat function as a yearly reminder of the Ha’Yom. link between Limmud Torah and The approach of the Yamim Noraim Tefillah. That link can be described brings back memories of studying Mussaf Shemona Esrei of Rosh in one of two ways; first, that every Beurei Hatefillah with Rabbi Wohlge- Hashanah is unique in one more pasuk that we recite as part of our muth, z”l, and the questions that he way. It is one of only two forms of tefilot serves to fulfill two Mitzvot, would pose about the tefillot of the Shemona Esrei that are described in tefillah and limmud Torah. A second Yamim Noraim: why do we recite nine detail by any Mishna. In Masechet link was identified by Rabbi Joseph brachot in the Mussaf Shemona Esrei of Rosh Hashanah, Perek 4, Mishna 5, we Soloveitchik, zt”l, founder of Rosh Hashanah? Why do we recite 10 learn the details about that Shemona Maimonides School, as quoted in psukim in each of the middle brachot Esrei and in Masechet Ta’anit, Perek 2, the book Worship of the Heart (Toras of Mussaf Shemona Esrei? Why do we Mishna 3, we learn the details of the HoRav Foundation/Ktav, 2003). In the say those psukim in the order of Torah, Shemona Esrei for a public fast.