It was with heavy hearts that we drove to Montreal several days ago to pay a shiva call to the Drazin family. Dear Avrum Drazin, z’l with whom we celebrated his grandson’s Bar Mitzvah just two weeks ago at Roemer passed away after many years of valiantly struggling for life. The family now has an heirloom photo, taken at the Bar Mitzvah party with everyone in the family–all children, grandchildren and one great grandchild, all surrounding Avrum who sat in the middle of the group with a huge beautiful smile on his face. Slightly more than a week later he passed away. Another reminder of the importance of grabbing the moment, making the best of every second and telling those we love what they mean to us.
While in Montreal, on Shabbat we decided to daven at Maimonides Geriatric Center, a large Jewish facility with people who have varying health issues, and live there until they pass. It is vibrant and alive and the clients who live there are treated with utmost respect and dignity. The volunteer corps and professional staff there are outstanding.
There were about 75 people at the minyan that morning. At least half of the participants were seated in wheel chairs. Many of them slept through the davening–some kvetched loudly and others eagerly participated.
What we noticed the most were shul goers who come each week to ensure that there is always a minyan. They interact with the residents, prepare the Kiddush–which is a must for all–and who bring their young children to daven and play next to the elderly and infirm.
When the men took the sefer Torah out of the Aaron Kodesh, we watched the baal tefillah walk over to each person in the room on both sides of the mechitzah and say “Good Shabbos. Would you like to kiss the Torah?” Blank faces became vibrant. Some people just looked and others grasped the Torah and touched it or gave it a kiss. It was a very moving experience. The only paid person at Maimonides was the chaplain, all other attendees are volunteers who come each week to give of themselves and learn so much in return.
We watched one young man–probably about 25, dressed very fashionably, French-speaking, go from person to person to insist that they each have some grape juice for Kiddush and then he maneuvered the wheel chairs everyone would be seated in a comfortable more congenial position after Kiddush.
No doubt there are many minyanim where he could have been together with his friends. Instead he chose, on a regular weekly basis, to spend Shabbat morning at Maimonides. The young children showed no fear of the elderly who in some cases were not particularly well looking. They appeared to be totally comfortable.
Most weeks we receive an email reminding us that Care One is looking for “minyanaires.” They need people to make up a minyan every Shabbat, right here on Teaneck Road.
For those of us who lived too far to walk there on Shabbat, a minyan is needed on Sunday morning too. It’s easy to do what is most familiar to us and close to where we live. However, life is such that we never know when one of us or a family member might be in a short- or long-term facility where a minyan might be needed. It is time for all of us to make the effort and go the extra mile. They say that a true “minyanaire” feels like a millionaire when adhering to this special mitzvah.
By Rabbi Mordechai and Nina Glick
