THE MITZVAH GRAM

B”H Volume 5, Issue 5 Nissan 5775

CMC Chaplaincy and

Senior Services Division

Hospital visitations

Weekly “Shabbos packages” delivered to hospital patients

Drop-in “Senior Center”

“Senior Friendship” (home outreach for isolated seniors)

Monthly Jewish discussion at dozens of retirement and nursing facilities

Subsidized emergency response systems

Free kosher guest meals in hospitals

Free medicar transportation for the elderly and infirm

Delivering Shabbos and holiday meals to patients

Holiday awareness and celebrations at retirement and nursing homes

Patient and family support

Telephone reassurance program

Promoting traditional Jewish funeral practices

Musical enrichment for end-of-life patients

“Hospitality suites” for friends, family and faculty

This month’s edition of the Mitzvah Gram has been published in memory of

Judy Silberstein—Miriam Silka bas Tzvi Hirsh HaLevi

Partially funded by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, Senior Division

and HUD (Housing Urban Development)

Ruth L, a 92 yr old homeless woman, had

been living in a car since 11/1/14, when she

was evicted from her home in Palatine. Adding

to the misfortune of her circumstances, Ruth

has a legally blind, mentally troubled daughter,

who was also homeless and living with her in

the car. Recently Ruth was hospitalized, and

shortly thereafter was transferred into the

hospital’s hospice unit.

The social worker at the hospital turned to

the CMC to help address the terribly distressing

plight of these two women, and the CMC

immediately stepped into gear. Unfortunately,

Ruth passed away just minutes before Rabbi

CMC Cares for Elderly Mother and Daughter

Living in a Car

April 2015

Wolf arrived at the hospital, but the CMC was

able to ensure that she received a traditional

Jewish funeral at a discounted rate (with the

assistance of Chicago Jewish Funerals).

In addition, the CMC (with the

assistance of The Ark) ensured that the

daughter did not remain homeless and living

in the back seat of her (inoperable) car on the

street. Instead, they made sure to arrange

comfortable living quarters for her, and to

begin setting up all the appropriate services

for her to have the opportunity to have a far

greater quality of life.

CMC Delivers Emergency Kosher

Meals After Hospital Runs out of Stock

The CMC is always on alert to help

hospitals and patients address the inevitable

challenges that arise from time to time in

meeting the needs of kosher-observant

patients. For example, a patient in need of

pureed food recently arrived at a hospital, only

to find out that the hospital had run out of its

stock of kosher meals for a pureed-only diet.

Upon hearing of this predicament, the CMC

immediately sprung into action, and had a

supply of the meals delivered to the hospital

within one hour.

CMC Helps Hospital Eliminate

Mistakes and Create New Kosher Menu

In another recent incident, a patient was

shocked to find an obviously non-kosher item

listed on a kosher menu. The CMC helped the

hospital to eliminate the mistake, worked with

their food service department on creating a

brand new kosher menu, and consulted with

them on best practices in the provision of

kosher meals to patients.

Food Awareness for Pesach

Indeed, hospital food service departments

often benefit from CMC consultations and staff

trainings concerning kosher food. This is of

particular importance, as it is quite common for

staff members at hospital food service

departments to have no prior knowledge about

the details of year-round kosher observance.

Unfortunately, the lack of staff awareness

is even more common (and problematic for

kosher consumers) when it comes to the special

laws that are applicable on Pesach. For this

reason, during Pesach it is extremely important

for hospital patients to always double-check to

make sure that all food items on their kosher

tray are wrapped in appropriately sealed

packaging that bears a suitable kosher-for-

Pesach stamp.

According to Jewish law, any items that

are brought on a patient’s tray during

Pesach that are not properly wrapped and

sealed, or that do not bear an appropriate

kosher-for-Pesach stamp, must be

immediately and explicitly refused by the

patient. (Continued on page 3)

CMC Addresses Hospitals’ Kosher Food Challenges

With the enthusiastic help of scores of volunteers, the

CMC celebrated Purim this month by bringing the festive

joy to many hundreds of elderly and infirm Jewish residents

of Chicago and suburbs.

The volunteer campaign kicked off on the Sunday

before Purim, when about 80 volunteers packed into the

CMC senior center to help prepare the special mishloach

manot gift bags for distribution to hospital patients and

nursing home residents on the holiday. Excited children,

energetic parents, and enthusiastic seniors all enjoyed the

music, the camaraderie, and the prevailing festive spirit, as

they participated in preparing for this wonderful mitzvah

campaign.

During the ensuing week, the excitement mounted as

the distribution volunteers stopped in at the CMC office to

pick up the mishloach manot bags for distribution on

Purim. When the holiday arrived, many dozens of

volunteers cheerfully took time off their busy schedules to

visit hundreds of elderly and infirm patients and residents at

scores of senior residences, care facilities, and nursing

homes.

The patients and seniors were delighted to receive

their visitors, and greatly appreciated the songs, stories, and

mishloach manot. Most precious of all was the infectious

festive cheer that the adult and

children volunteers shared. A

child’s smile and joyous

“Happy Purim!” wish can

light up a senior’s face like

nothing else!

Volunteers described

how their visits invariably

reminded seniors of pleasant

memories from their own

childhood and their time as

young adults raising their own

families and building their communities. The opportunity to

participate in a festive Purim celebration along with the

joyous and uplifting interaction with the volunteers also

reminded the seniors that even in their older years they are

still a valuable and active part of the vibrant broader Jewish

community.

Seniors Enjoy Fabulous Purim

Celebration and Feast at CMC

As a chilly wind blew through Chicago on Purim day,

approximately 25 seniors gathered for a heartwarming

festive meal and joyous celebration at the CMC’s Senior

Center. The excitement and holiday spirit was palpable as

the seniors were greeted by smiling children in costume.

Everyone relished the opportunity to listen to the Megillah—

beautifully read by Mendel Saacks—and to participate

together in the other mitzvos and traditions of the day. The

dazzling array of tasty dishes and Purim treats provided the

participants with much delight, and the seniors were

enthralled with the entertaining juggling show that was

performed by Sam Simon. Most enjoyable of all was the

convivial company and rousing spirit of joy and celebration.

CMC Brings Purim Joy to the Elderly and Infirm

Pra

yer is H

ealin

g

Dov ben Chaya Pesha

Daniel Akiva ben Yona

Shoshana

Simcha Dovid ben Chaya

Yaffa

Chaim ben Miriam

Ginendal ben Golda

Meir ben Lily

Sheina bas Chana Feigel

Miriam Orit bas Devora

Aharona Michal bat Leah Ruth

Avrohom ben Bluma

Mendel Yehuda ben Nechama

Gittel

Asher Zelig ben Yehudis

Rachel Breindel

Baruch Berl ben Liba Leah

Yakira Yehudit bas Masha

Moshe Shaul ben Yona

Shoshana

Refoel DovBer ben Rus

Efrayim Hershel ben Payeh

Chaya Menucha Bracha bas

Ilana

Chaim Eliezer ben Hinda

Sara

Gedalye HaKohen ben Sara

Freida

Dovid ben Gittel Raizl

Moshe Leibel ben Rochel

Sarah bas Yehudis

Lily bas Bella

Yehuda Leib ben Fruma

Simcha ben Chaya Sara

Mordechai Mashiach ben

Neima

We wish a speedy recovery and good health to:

(continued from page 1)

CMC Addresses Hospitals’

Kosher Food Challenges

CMC Stocking up Emergency Supplies of Pesach

Meals and Seder Articles

Thankfully, all of the major area hospitals are expected to

carry a supply of kosher-for-Pesach meals during the festival,

available to patients upon request. Moreover, the CMC will

store a sufficient quantity of kosher-for-Pesach meals to be

available for patients in case hospitals or care facilities run out

of supplies.

Furthermore, just as it does for every Shabbos and Yom

Tov, the CMC will also - upon request - deliver special festival

meals to all hospital patients for the first two days (Friday

evening 4/3 - Sunday night 4/5) and the last two days (Thursday

evening 4/9 - Saturday night 4/11) of Pesach. Also upon request,

the CMC will deliver matzah (regular or handmade shmurah)

or other Seder articles to hospital patients in need of these

items. Please note that in order to facilitate proper arrangements,

these requests to the CMC should be made in advance.

CMC Hospitalities Open for Pesach

Throughout the holiday, the CMC’s hospitality suites

adjacent to Skokie and Evanston Hospitals will be open, and

kosher-for-Pesach meals will be available in the suites for

patients, family members, and hospital staff.

“MOBILE” Life-Alert Emergency

Response System Now Available

Over the years, the CMC has encouraged and assisted

hundreds of seniors to avail themselves of a “life-alert”

emergency response system. Designed as a safety tool for

seniors living at home, the system is connected to a wall outlet

and to a home phone. A button that works like a remote control

is worn by the senior on a necklace or bracelet. Pushing the

button instantly creates a two-way live communication with an

operator by amplifying the sound through the senior’s home

phone. If necessary, the operator can then immediately dispatch

emergency responders to the senior’s home.

Using this system has helped saved the lives of countless

seniors who have suffered falls or other emergencies in their

homes and were unable to reach a phone to call for help. But

the system’s benefit is limited because it can only work within

a certain distance of the senior’s home phone. Thus, it cannot

provide any assistance to more active, “on-the-go” seniors

when they are out of the home to go shopping, to go for a walk,

or for any other reason.

In r e cen t t im es

however, the technology has

developed to make a similar

emergency response system

available on a mobile basis.

Pushing the button on this

mobile pendant creates the

s a m e l i v e t w o - w a y

communication with an

operator, without any need

for a separate phone at all. The mobile system also works with

GPS technology to pinpoint the location of the person wearing

the pendant, so that responders can arrive at the scene in the

quickest time possible.

Aside from a one-time set-up fee of $85, the mobile

pendant carries the same monthly fee as the older, “stay-at-

home” system, and is a terrific alternative for all active seniors

who like to go out and spend time outside the home. For more

information, to order the mobile system, or to request an

upgrade from the “stay-at-home” system, please call the CMC.

Upcoming: CMC Set to Publish

Booklet in Time for Pesach Just in time for the upcoming Pesach holiday, the CMC is

about to publish a new booklet, entitled, “Accessing Medical

Care on Shabbat”. The purpose of the booklet is to clarify the

particular issues of when, and to what extent, Shabbat and/or Yom

Tov laws may be suspended in order to get a patient to a hospital,

and also in order to return home upon discharge from the hospital.

The booklet presents the relevant halachic principles in a

clear, concise style, alongside many practical examples. It is a

guide that will help readers avoid the mistakes of: 1) relying on

leniencies that don’t apply to their situation, or of: 2) failing to obtain needed care for a patient because of lack of awareness of

the applicable halacha.

THE MITZVAH GRAMMonthly Publication of The Chicago Mitzvah Campaign

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