Family members of Orthodox patients at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway can now spend Shabbat in comfort with kosher meals, Jewish books, and plush furniture. On April 13, hospital officials and local rabbis dedicated the bikur cholim room at the century-old hospital, recognizing the growing Orthodox community in the surrounding neighborhood.

“The suite will be available and complement additional services such as Sabbath elevators, the Jewish chapel and kosher meals,” said hospital chief executive Nelson Taubbe.

The suite features sweeping views of the ocean, Jewish-themed artwork on the walls, and separate microwaves for meat and dairy products. Rabbi Tzvi Flaum, chief of the Vaad Harabanim of Far Rockaway and Lawrence and member of the hospital’s governing board, took note of its progress. “The hospital is upgrading, enlarging, and recruiting new doctors. It has made major strides and is now running in the black,” Rabbi Flaum said.

Rabbi Elozer Kanner of the Hatzalah of the Rockaways and Nassau County, also attended the opening, praising the hospital’s efforts in addressing Jewish concerns. “If people cannot leave the hospital because of a serious condition, there is now a room where they can hang their jackets with all the comforts of home,” Rabbi Kanner said. “It’s a marked sensitivity of a hospital that is not Jewish, but understands our community.”

The improvements at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital express confidence in a borough that lost three hospitals over the past three years. “It’s a desire to become a better hospital with the latest updated equipment,” Rabbi Flaum said. “The hospital is bringing itself back to excellence.”

(Source: Jewish Star)