Bikur Cholim Bergen County (BCBC) has been servicing our community for many decades under the leadership of Chanie Shmutter and Eva Stern. Most recently, we along with our committees have put forth much effort to expand the organization to meet the many needs of our rapidly growing community. The most recent addition to the vast array of services already provided is the opening of two brand new, beautifully furnished and professionally decorated Bikur Cholim apartments.
The apartments, located down the block from Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), are in a doorman-attended high rise building on Prospect Avenue. The purpose of these apartments is to create a quiet haven for family members who are staying with loved ones in the hospital. The apartments are available for Shabbos and Yom Tom use, affording our community members additional accommodations beyond that which is provided at the Audrey Hepburn Children’s House. The apartments are also available during the week for patient’s families who live out of town and wish to be in close proximity to the hospital. The apartments aren’t limited to HUMC patients and their families. Weekday access is available to anyone needing to be in the Bergen County area with an ill hospitalized family member, in any of our local hospitals. They grant families a quiet place to unwind and sleep, creating a calm oasis outside of the sterile hospital environment. Whether it be single family members or larger families with children, the apartments are set up to accommodate. Families can sleep comfortably, refresh and recharge in order to regain the strength that is so greatly needed when caring for an ill family member. When a patient is hospitalized, his/her greatest comfort is the presence of a family member at his/her bedside, and these apartments help provide this comfort.
Bikur Cholim has a committee of incredibly devoted and hardworking volunteers, under the direction of Esther Perl and Hana Katz. On a weekly basis, they work to keep the apartments completely stocked with anything anyone could possibly need. Freshly made beds, plush towels, reading materials, seforim and even toothbrushes help create an atmosphere of warmth and caring. The kitchen is completely stocked with drinks, snacks, light Shabbos food and all utensils and condiments one may need. Guests will find basic Shabbos/Yom Tom supplies including an urn, warming cart, electric candles, havdalah supplies, challah, grape juice and Shabbos lamps, all providing a measure of comfort and normalcy in a time of crisis. When a family member calls to reserve space in the apartment, they are warmly greeted by Lydia Zuckier, a devoted volunteer, who compassionately assists the family with the details of their stay. See our website at bikurcholimbergencounty.org for details on how to make reservations for apartment use.
Over the past few weeks, many families have benefited greatly from the use of the apartments. Recently, a young family came from Israel for cancer treatment at HUMC. The woman and her young child spent multiple Shabbosim in the apartment, allowing them to spend Shabbos together with their husband/father who was in the hospital. They noted that staying at the apartment allowed them to spend time together as a family, a scenario that would be otherwise completely impossible. They commented that the thoughtful touches in the apartments helped to make their stressful situation bearable. One family left a note saying “Thank you so much for these most beautiful and comfortable accommodations. Your generosity and thoughtfulness is seen throughout the apartment. Everything has made our Shabbos more enjoyable and manageable. All I could think was Mi K’amcha Yisrael! It is heartwarming and encouraging to see how another Jew gives his time and energy to make another Jew’s ordeal more manageable and less painful! Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you!”
These apartments have been set up through the extreme generosity of many individual members of our local community, as well as many local establishments. It is this community support and collaboration that allows Bikur Cholim to service our community during times of medical crisis.
Another new service for the community that BCBC has recently established, under the guidance of rabbinic authorities from the RCBC, is a taxi service with a “Shabbos Arrangement.” BCBC has “Shabbos Arrangements” with our local Teaneck Taxi service. This arrangement will make it easier for members of our community to access local hospitals on Shabbos and Yom Tov and to bring home those who are discharged on Shabbos and Yom Tov, when halachically permissible. This would include non-emergencies for which you would not call 911, but that need medical attention (see our website for guidelines). We are grateful to Teaneck Taxi, who will work with BCBC to educate their drivers and dispatchers, making them aware of our needs on Shabbos.
It is our sincere hope that the time will come when there is no further illness or pain amongst klal Yisrael, but until that point we rely on our communities’ support to help each other through our toughest of times. To learn about our other services or to volunteer please visit our website at bikurcholimbergencounty.org. Donations can be mailed to Bikur Cholim Bergen County, PO Box 3083, Teaneck, NJ 07666 or received via PayPal on our website. “Like” us on Facebook to learn about our new initiatives.
By Meredith Yager (President BCBC) and Tsipi Gurell (Vice President BCBC)
