COMMUNITY MAGAZINE May 2008

72 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE No ‘Red Alert’ at this Bar Missvah Far outside the range of Kassam rocket fire, Netanel Cohen of Sderot celebrated his Bar Mitzvah last month in Jerusalem, along with nearly 50 friends, relatives and classmates who hail from the Sderot region. All were guests of Boys Town Jerusalem, who provided a festive lunch at the school’s campus in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood following the Bar Mitzvah ceremony at the kotel. In addition to the Bar Mitzvah meal, Boys Town furnished transportation for the guests from Sderot. “We consider the residents of Sderot to be true heroes, and we are commit- ted to helping them in any way pos- sible” said Boys Town Jerusalem PR director Eddie Wolf. “Making a simha (happy occasion) in Sderot is becoming increasingly difficult. To ease the situation, we have invited Sderot residents to celebrate a Bar Mitvah or brit on our campus, while we cover the cost of the festive meal and transportation. Our students are also volunteering their efforts, from helping to serve the food to providing musical accompaniment.” Said Eliyahu Cohen, Netanel’s father, “This is a lifesaver for us. The dangers of everyday life in Sderot, much less making a simha , are devastating to our physical and emotional state. Just knowing that we can enjoy a celebration and a meal without fear of a ‘color red’ alert is a gift to us all.” Hosting the simcha is the latest in ongoing efforts by Boys Town Jerusalem to assist Sderot residents. Last summer the school opened its campus to hundreds of children from Sderot for a one-week day camp, and over the three-day Purim weekend hosted nearly 500 adults and children from the beleaguered city. Maimonides Bikur Cholim Room Expands The Bikur Cholim room at Maimonides Medical Center was beginning to burst at its seams. The small room is disproportion- ate to the numbers it served. Everyone agreed – it had reached its capacity and could no longer adequately serve the needs of the com- munity. The same tables were used to store, pre- pare and serve food, in a room that is small to begin with. But thanks to a new annex that was inaugurated last month, families with relatives at the hospital can look forward to streamlined services to meet their needs. The turnover at Bikur Cholim is so fast, that on an average week they serve over 2,000 cups of coffee. The new annex is located one block away from Maimonides Hospital at 5017 10th Avenue, and will now serve as a convenient storage and preparation center for Bikur Cholim of Boro Park, making hospital space more user friendly. The annex will also be used to host different support groups for the elderly, the diabetic the blind and others. Such support groups are a vital necessity for members of the community. A recent study showed that prior to belonging to a Bikur Cholim Support Group, 20 elderly people suf- fering from Diabetes were hospitalized at least once a month. But following the establishment of a Diabetes Group, where they learn to care for themselves, almost none were hospitalized the following year. The annex will allow for more such support groups and make them accessible to more people. Currently Bikur Cholim is plan- ning on adding an afternoon support group for retired men. The new annex was also open twice a day on Pesah for yom tov and hol hamoed serving hot Kosher-for-Pesach food. Due to different customs, people are very particular with Pesach food, and having a separate room where hot food was served eased their concerns and helped accommodate their traditional standards. “Extraordinary Citizen” David Greenfield Honored Public Advocate for the City of New York, Betsy Gotbaum presented David Greenfield, the Executive Vice President of the Brooklyn-based Sephardic Community Federation, with a formal proclamation declaring him an “Extraordinary Citizen” for his continuing work on behalf of New Yorkers. Specifically, the Public Advocate referenced Greenfield’s success as a driving force behind the $600 million tax credits for school-age children that provides perpetual tax relief to millions of parents throughout New York. The award from Public Advocate Gotbaum comes on the heels of several other awards that Greenfield has received for his work on behalf of the community Community Chest Netanel Cohen and his father Photo: Yakov Diament (from right to left) Viznitzer Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yechial Mechel Daskal, Satmar Dayan Rabbi Moshe Freidman, Pupa Dayan Rabbi Moshe Menachm Weiss, Burshtiner Rebbe Rabbi David Eichenstein, Eizenshtater Rav Rabbi Yakov Miller, Himnover Rav and Rabbi of Maimonides Medical Center Rabbi Avroham Freidlender (speaking), Bolchover Rav Rabbi Yisroel Schneibolg, and Kamenitzer Rav Rabbi Aaron Glick. Photo: REBEL Images Photo: REBEL Images The Burshtener Rebbe affixing the mezuzah