Yesterday, YWN reported about a group of people who staged a protest in front of Maimonides Hospital. Many readers had questions as to who was behind this, and what their reasons were. The following letter should answer those questions.
Dear Yidden:
Many of you are probably wondering why we had a protest demonstration in front of Maimonides Medical Center on March 1st.
Like you, we have a need for quality medical care. We have no argument over this issue. We also agree that it is a good thing to have a hospital located near our community, where we can deliver our babies and get quick help in times of medical emergencies.
However, Maimonides Hospital has a dark side that you may not be aware of—They have an unlimited desire for more and more growth and profit, which has nothing to do with better medical care for our community.
In fact, it undermines the mission of better medical care by distracting the management from medical quality issues to growth and expansion issues. At this time, Maimonides has established outpatient medical clinics all over Brooklyn, not just in Boro-Park.
Over the last 20 years, Maimonides has steadily encroached on the residential areas of Boro-Park West, the community, which surrounds the immediate area of the Hospital. Our community has been severely damaged by this irresponsible and uncontrolled growth and expansion policy.
The Hospital have converted hundreds of residential housing units to heavy-commercial use to the point that we are very concerned for the continued viability of our community.
While Boro-Park suffers from a desperate need for housing, Maimonides Corporation clearly intends to continue to use their money and their power to destroy more and more residential housing, in order to convert them to commercial use for their own profit.
The purpose of our zoning law is to segregate commercial areas away from residential areas, so that people can enjoy a normal quality of life, without being overwhelmed by the noise, traffic, and environmental problems associated with commercial zoning.
Maimonides has shown utter contempt for the spirit and the letter of our zoning laws. They have made no effort to shield their neighbors from high noise levels. Their ugly buildings deface our neighborhood. There is no buffering, no landscaping.
They have not made adequate provision for the increased parking that is necessary to support their ambitious plans for expansion. Maimonides is foisting all the hidden costs of their many expansions on the unwary members of our community. They are steadily eroding our quality of life.
Rabbi William Handler,
For the Boro-Park West Community Association.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
25 Responses
I agree. I used to live in that area and it is a huge problem. Maimonides is indeed taking over what was once a residential area and converting it into medical offices. People who own houses there who can’t just pick themselves up and move are understandably upset.
Unfortunatel,with B.”H. more people living in BP,more medical care is required. Many of those people do not have insurance but have Medicaid. These include Frum and chassidiuc families. The hospital,like other big institutions,must expand to serve the growing needs of the community and in order to cover their expenses,must grow to collect more revenue. THIS IS PROGRESS! You cannot have a growing community without growth in its support groups. You need more and bigger schools,food stores,etc, AND HOSPITALS! If they would not expand in your neighborhood you would complain that you don’t have quality health care. So go back to improving your neighborhood or move out to one you like better.
Dear Kaj:
The Hospital’s growth is not intended to serve the community.
Maimonides is expanding its menu of medical services to become a New York Metro Big Player.
All we basically really need to serve our community are an Emergency Room, Child Birhting center, and Heart center.
We don’t need a cancer senter right here in Boro-park, and we don’t need a mental health center right here, to take just some examples that come to mind.
In today’s internet/electronic communication world, a hospital can decentralize its divisions and stil maintain management controls.
The problem with Maimonides is that it has an arrogant attitude that refuses to take into consideration the needs of its surrounding community.
Perhaps, they have already decided that we’re better off moving out.
People not living this, need not comment,
When you will have A greedy corporate neighbor that cares nothing about you or your family, and takes away every bit of Menuches Hanefesh that you would otherwise have, Then you can comment.
Maimonidies needs to improve what they have, make it a first class hospital, not expand.
Its funny, the article starts of making some what sense, even though I still agree with #2, but in the third to the last paragraph he writes “so that people can enjoy a normal quality of life, without being overwhelmed by the noise, traffic, and environmental problems associated with commercial zoning”
What?
It’s a hospital for G-d’s sake, there is going to be NOISE, TRAFFIC, ETC.
so sell them your house and make a killing off it
What about all those huge and unatractive batei medrashim and yeshivas that pop up on every block that also take away from residential quality of life ? Why do they get a pass ?
all i see from the comments here is that none of u live in the 10 and 9 ave vicinity because u would all know that finding parking is virtually impossible 24 hours of the day mostly to doctors and nurses and other hospital staff who are to cheap to pay for the parking garage and take away our parking spots
to #8 one protects and the other one heals
#4 – wrong – all can comment.
#8 – the places that you disparage ONLY enhance the quality of our life
When satmar & viznitz build thier Halls right in our Midst & does not consider the noise or traffic in addition to the parking dilema & the commotion it causes at night especially late at night when children & family’s are going to sleep, Did anybody protest ?? No, how can you Chas Vasholim its a MOSED trying to make ends meet.
However when a Hospital needs to expand due to growth of the population that is when it becomes a problem, Amazing when the birthing center expended that is not a problem as their are more births in this communtiy that in others, but when they have to expand due to lack of space this Creep is already counting thier profits.
shame on you Mr. Handler this is america & luckily you dont own this country & you have a choice to move to Israel & give them instructions & lets see if the goverenment there is going to listen to you .
Thats right levine, put words into my mouth. I do not disparage mosdos like you said I do. The point I am trying to make is a little consistency would be appreciated. Huge buildings pop up all over the place, no one says boo.When a hospital expands people that are pro these huge halls and shuls take issue with the hospital expanding. A double standard. Thats all.
levtov–no.12:
I hope you really have a Lev Tov.
Don’t get distracted by the noise and traffic issue. The question is whether the community can continue to survive at all.
#12 You rant and rave against viznitz fo causing traffic problems, yet Rabbi Handler can’t fight an institution which is ruining his community. I think I smell hypocrisy here.
“Rav” Mechel you wrote: “What about all those huge and unatractive batei medrashim and yeshivas that pop up on every block that also take away from residential quality of life?”
yes, when you say that these Torah instituition “take away from residential quality of life” I interpret that to be a disparaging.
To Flatbusher–No. 15:
Wow, it’s amazing haow easily you can tell your fellow-Yidden to just uproot their community and leave, after living there with their neighbors for 40 years.–How callous can you get!
Were you involved in the Gush Katif evacuation too?
Where I live, hospital neighborhoods require permits to park on the street. Only residents can get permits. Anyone without a permit, including doctors and nurses, cannot park for more than an hour without a permit.
Levine, Well sorry for not expressing myself clearer but please explain the double standard.
Maimonides is great they have to make some money come on
“rav” mechel 1) I am glad that you do not feel the way that you originally expressed yourself.
2) by me, there is no double standard – Keep building Torah institutions and keep building medical facilities (that B’EH we will only need for childbirth) where the people are.
I drove throw Ridgewood NJ and there were signs to vote no against the local hospital expansion (not a street parking issue). on another note Pascack Valley hospital in NJ closed – where do the locals go in emergencies??? It takes them longer and it takes the EMTs longer to get back for the next emergency.
May we only here B’Soros Tovos
#21
Please do me a favor and go through all the facilities Maimonides have conveyed from residential use, like the urology center they are currently planing for 46th and 10th Ave, and tell how necessary it is that they should be next door to our residence.
We need to take care of this problem now before it’s to late.
MAIMONIDES MUST BE MORE SENSITIVE TO THE COMMUNITY
P.S. The neighbors are currently planning a big protest against the hospital. There are joining forces of the whole neighborhood jews and gentiles alike.
i’m guessing that levine doesn’t live anywhere near a wedding hall. I live a block away from Ateres Chaya. they have weddings there almost every day for most of the year. on a non-wedding night, it takes about 5-15 minutes to find parking. on a wedding night, it takes a minimum of 1 1/2 hours, if I find any at all. I usually have to park 3 blocks away and walk home. we also have a huge Satmar a block away. now, to make matters worse, Skulen, which is right on my block, renovated and built a big building. I know about inconvenience. if there’s anything to protest, it’s wedding halls, and chassidim who feel the need to show off their money. wedding halls should be outside of crowded neighborhoods, and as for huge batei midrashim, while i’m glad that we need so many, do they really need to be the size of football fields? they should also be further out, and if someone must daven with a certain minyan, then he can walk 5-10 minutes.
how about moving about the BP to something smaller down south in a quiet cozy hood where these type of shailos dont come up
As aprofessional in hthe Healthcare industry, with the way the government and the insurance companies limit the income any medical professional or facility may make, there is inly ione optionfor any hospital. That is to offer services in every known specialty. Maimonides, one of the few quality major Brooklyn hospitals is no different. Every department at Maimonides serves not only the Jews in Boro Park, but also in Flatbush, Madison, Midwood, etc.
Get rid of the Mental Health division, OK But then your ADD/ADHD Yeshiva child would have to go to Brookdale for services. You won’t mind sending him/her on the B35 from 39th Street all the way out to Brookldale on 100 something street, right? Or perhaps you would prefer your parents traveling to NYU or NY-P in Manhattan for their Chemo or Radiation treatments, and having to take the subway home , in excrutiating pain and neausea after the treatments. You don’t need that clinic.
You complain that Maimonides is gobbling up space in Boro PArk and you complain tha Maimonides has offices all over Brooklyn,. Then what is the problem. If they are moving out of Boro Park is aproblem, how canStaying in Boro Park be a Problem?
Tehy should expand to the outskirts, along with the wedding halls, etc. Rose Castle and Eden Palace and Concordia were on the outskirts, now Yidden are living across the street from them, or on the same block. When the parking lot is full, where do they park? Do the residents complain that there is no parking?
I live off a main shopping street. There isn’t any parking on my blcok, especially for alternate side. the moving trucks were here recently. They couldn’ tload the truck , because they were double bparked and the cares ouldn’t get thrugh. noone was able to secure the spot infromnt of the house so the truck wold have a space to park.
For all of you who are complaining about Living next to Maimonides imagine life without a hospital so close by. Imagine if the only place you could go in an emergency was Coney Island Hospital or Kings County. Yeah you could go to Lutheren- but when a hospital is in the middle of nowhere- the lower level emploees can’t get there. no employees, no care, no income, no hospital.
The fight with Maimonides shouldn’t be on its expansion, teh fight should be to make it MORE JEWISH!
#25 good guess – I do not live near a wedding hall (a few miles away is the closest) and I do live next door to a hospital either (however, I have had the good fortune and pleasure of having to walk the 5.5 miles from the hospital twice). B’H, I do live in an area with many Shuls.
I understand that there are parking issues where you choose to live. believe it or not, there are parking issues where I live also – maybe not as bad as where you choose to live, but, parking problems are not just a Brooklyn issue.
if you really do not like it, either learn to live with it – or leave.