Dr. Susan Brill, director of adolescent medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Saint Peter’s University Hospital, standing next to the ladder, joins girls from Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion in Piscataway who decorated the hospital’s sukka on Oct. 12. Brill arranged for the student excursion.
Photos courtesy St. Peter’s University Hospital
October 21, 2008
For the first time in its history, St. Peter’s University Hospital has erected a sukka to allow its Jewish patients, staff, and others working in downtown New Brunswick to observe the traditions of the Sukkot holiday.
The hospital is also providing free glatt kosher breakfasts and lunches inside the sukka, whose decorations were made by pediatric patients and students at Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva in Edison and hung by seventh- and eighth-grade girls from Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion in Piscataway. Food has been provided by Glatt 27 and Jerusalem Pizza in Highland Park.
The holiday booth was put up, said Francine Katz, vice president and general counsel of St. Peter’s, “because we are very aware of the diverse backgrounds of our patients, and we wanted to have a symbol of welcome for our Jewish patients. A sukka is the perfect symbol of outreach to the Jewish community. We want the Jewish community to think of us as a hospital to turn to because we are respectful of the needs of our Jewish patients as we are of all patients.”
Rabbi David Blum, chaplain of the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County, said that at a meeting in June, Jerome Herauf, the hospital’s pastoral care director, expressed a desire to educate others about the various faiths being served by the hospital.
“I mentioned Sukkot and putting up a sukka,” Blum told NJJN. “In terms of the Jewish community I think it’s a very nice gesture both for patients staying there, and it’s a nice educational opportunity for people who may not be familiar with a sukka.”
Giving back
Blum said the hospital had set up stations so observant Jews can perform the traditional hand-washing before eating in the sukka. Blum was also asked to deliver a d’var Torah during lunch on several occasions during the eight-day holiday.
Two students from Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion in the sukka at St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick. The girls put up decorations made by pediatric patients and students from Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva in Edison.
Additionally, the hospital made videotapes of the chaplain speaking about the holidays of Sukkot and Shavuot, which will be available for viewing by patients.
Katz said she ordered the sukka on-line from “Chabad rabbis in Brooklyn.”
It was put up by the physicians’ entrance to the hospital. “Our maintenance department erected it with the directions,” Katz said, adding with a laugh. “They all assured me that they grew up in Brooklyn so they knew what to do.”
Just to make sure, rabbis were brought in to ensure the structure met all the religious requirements to make it a “kosher” sukka, said Katz.
She said that after she told her rabbi, Mark Finkel, about the sukka, their congregation, Pine Brook Jewish Center in Montville, donated the lulav and etrog.
Having the sukka has allowed the hospital to strengthen its ties with the diverse community it serves, Katz said.
Members of the Jewish community were encouraged to stop by, said Katz. “We invited lots of lay leaders of the community. This is the hospital’s centennial year and what a great way to move into our next 100 years.”
The response, she said, has been overwhelmingly positive.
“The Jewish physicians and our other Jewish staff have been so touched and thrilled,” said Katz. “It’s been very rewarding to me as an administrator. It’s a Catholic hospital and I’ve loved learning about the Catholic faith since I’ve been here. Now I’m able to give back something from my own religion. It’s so heartwarming.”
The structure is located by the physicians’ entrance to the hospital.
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