(Click HERE for photos) On Tuesday, January 22, there was something different on the food carts that were being pushed by the Bikur Cholim volunteers along the floors in both Maimonidies Medical Center and New York Methodist Hospital. The trays were bearing something extra…something special in addition to the standard delicious food.  Mounds of delicious fruits were being distributed to the families of patients in honor of Tu B’Shevat.

Fresh fruit, dried fruit, exotic fruit, tropical fruit combined in a rainbow of brilliant colors and tantalizing tastes. They were all lovingly distributed to the patients.  Beautiful arrangements were placed at the nursing stations as well, in recognition of their respect and admiration for their dedicated work.

The fruits were lovingly sliced and diced by the Nishei Bikur Cholim.  These women take delight in contributing their time and skills for Bikur Cholim activities and projects.  As long as they are able, they help out.  It gives them something to do and it gives them a sense of pride in their achievement and accomplishment.

Encountering an illness is never easy.  Coping with a debilitating condition can be numbing and paralyzing.  Bikur Cholim strives to assure that you will never have to face these fears alone. Bikur Cholim represents a heritage of compassion, care, and trust, and an unwavering dedication to those who seek their assistance, guidance and comfort.

Bikur Cholim is a leading Jewish health care and social support organization.

From arranging consultations with specialists, directing  donor blood, helping with expenses, or “just helping you through it”, every person who turns to Bikur Cholim is treated with understanding and compassion.

Medical teams help heal the body. Bikur Cholim volunteers help heal the spirit.  It is a joint collaboration to cure body and soul…Refuas HaNefesh and Refuas HaGuf.

Listening to the patient is one of the Bikur Cholim’s most important jobs. A smile, a laugh or a squeeze of the hand can help the patient emotionally, and the end result, the patient knows that we care about them.

Patients lie in their hospital beds with plenty of worries, from the seriousness of their illness, fear of surgery, worries about money and lost wages to concerns of child care and home chores.

That’s where Bikur Cholim comes in.

They are sensitive to each patient’s needs and feelings. They are the patient’s friend for personal, non-medical needs and bridging any communication gaps between patient and medical staff.

In addition, the representatives assist the nursing staff by providing individual and personalized attention and caring, giving the nurses more time for the medical needs of the patient.

Coordinating our cadre of volunteers is R’ Naftali Teitlebaum.  His experience with volunteer organizations makes him the ideal candidate for this position. He helps recruit, train and orient volunteers and then he assigns them to specific sites and schedules their services.

Rabbi Nosson Friedman is the Bikur Cholim Ombudsman at Maimonides Medical Center. As patient representative, he is the liaison between convalescent and staff.  He addresses the concerns and special needs of patients and their families and tries to resolve any misunderstandings and/or difficulties that may arise.

Together, these two men create an atmosphere of collaboration and trust between patient and medical staff, by maintaining open lines of communication.

Boro Park Bikur Cholim would like to acknowledge the skills and talents of every volunteer and thank them for their diligence and devotion.