For the past 30 years, the Jewish Chapel located on the 2nd floor of Mount Sinai Medical Center has served not only as a functioning shul within the hospital, but also as a spiritual sanctuary for those who need it. Whether utilized to catch a mincha during a hectic day in the hospital, as a place to say tehillim while a loved one is in surgery, or as a place to daven on Shabbos while staying the hospital, the Jewish Chapel has been the address for all members of the Jewish community.
Chesed 24/7, therefore, is pleased to announce that after many months of hard work and coordination, they have designed and erected a brand new mechitza which incorporates every possible stringency and chumra such that all individuals would feel comfortable davening with the kehilla. Since Chesed 24/7 has had a long standing presence in the hospital (as in 12 other area hospitals) with their Chesed Hospitality Room, as well as meals and transportation, they were in the best position to interact with the hospital administration to facilitate approval for the new mechitza. From the engineering, to the design, to obtaining the approvals from the various levels of administration, Chesed 24/7’s determination and perseverance prevailed. After many long months of hard work, a brand new, beautifully designed mechitza was erected.
The joy and jubilation from the installation of the new mechitza was overwhelming. On the very first Shabbos that the new mechitza was installed, there were almost 30 mispallelim joining the minyan, both at night and during the daytime tefillos. Chesed 24/7 is proud of this initiative and hopes that this new mechitza will allow everyone to feel welcome and comfortable within the shul so that all mispallelim can join together and collectively daven for a refuah sheleimah for all cholim and a yeshua for all of Klal Yisrael.
A special thanks goes to a dear Chesed 24/7 friend, Shloimy Weiss from Brooklyn, for his boundless efforts to bring this project to fruition.
For dedications and/or contributions towards this very special project, please call Chesed 24/7 at 845-354-3233 ext. 101
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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5 Responses
Mazal Tov!
kol hakavod.
I do not require “every possible stringency and chumra” in order to offer tefillot to Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu.
While I tip my hat to those wonderful people who are involved in such tremendous acts of chesed, I question the statement:
“mechitza which incorporates every possible stringency and chumra such that all individuals would feel comfortable”
That basically means that even Satmar Chasidim will feel ok davening there. However, many frum women find it offensive and disconnecting to be stuck behind a giant wall. Many such people would actually feel more comfortable in a shul that has a completely halachic mechitza (not even one that relies on kulos) but is still more mainstream.
I think it is an overly simplistic perspective to think that going more machmir is always the safer way.
SHARE or Chesed 24/7 is an incredible organization…They do an amazing amount chesed in hospitals as well as their programs for developmentally disabled adults….Tizku L’Mitzvos