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The Charlotte Jewish News - February 2015 - Page 25 Hospice Volunteer Enlightens World for Patient, Self o. Her diminutive frame appeared at the doorway without a sound. Slightly bent over and very pale, her hair eovering the metastasis poking through her skull, she looks into my eyes. Though only a resident for three days, her am- bivalenee about being in an end- of-life faeility resulted in a reputation of being diffieult. Am bulatory and artieulate, she doesn’t fit the mold of a patient, and as I soon learn, didn’t feel quite at home in many eireum- stanees, ineluding her Catholi- eism. “It is by the graee of God I am able to walk.” I didn’t know breast eaneer ean grow outside of the body. I had been a volunteer working with the terminally ill for less than a year, and that morning prior to meeting her, I was having qualms about whether I eould eontinue. I struggle with the phys- ieal eare-taking that a bedridden person requires, and I am in awe of people who do this eare with eonfidenee. I felt ashamed at my relief that she uses the bathroom on her own. “You remind me of my psyehi- atrist, she was Jewish (too).” At some point in our eonversation it had beeome evident that I was not only Jewish but had strong opin ions. Within a short time, we are having a deeply personal interae- tion. In the same way that she was diseonneeted from the religion of her heritage, for reasons that had little to do with the faith itself, so had I been. I returned; she hasn’t. She eonfides that she was al ways attraeted to the Jewish boys and relates a family tradition that she is a deseendant of Jews who eonverted to Catholieism to avoid perseeution. Perhaps, even at this late stage, she wants to explore her roots? I mention that I am possibly the only Jewish volunteer. Hanukkah was to begin the next week, she wasn’t sure exaetly when, as our eyes noted the Christmas tree in the eommon room. The sun was shining through the windows and I reported when the first day of Hanukkah would oeeur. Then in an instant, her aura ehanged to a soft plea. “Do you have an extra Menorah?” In those few seeonds, I refleet on my deeades of being non-praetieing. I have one meno rah, and it was purehased 14 years ago at the urging of my Episeo- palian spouse, who likes eandle- light. The menorah may not be a family heirloom but it was pur ehased at the gift shop in my eousin’s shul, a lifelong praetieing Jew, and for that reason it has be eome a vital link to my aneestry. I offer to put out the word for an extra. It is not unusual for a family to have more than one Menorah, though I hesitate to as sure her that one will materialize on that first day, only a few days away. I also fail to mention to her that I am relatively new to the Jewish eommunity in the sense that I have not been a member of any eongregation, as an adult, until about five years ago. I feel inadequate to the job of bolstering someone else’s praetiee. I posted on my Faeebook page and spread to my eongregation the need for an extra menorah. With no idea whether this would aetu- ally happen, I ealled the hospiee volunteer eoordinator, to let her know what I did. Within a day, I reeeived several offers from the eongregation. On my next week’s visit, I noted that she had eandles and an English translation of the prayer, along with two menorahs. She made a point of letting me know that she lit the eandles nightly; her spirit was visibly lightened by the Hanukkah observanee and sup port from the faeility. With inner pride, I offer to do the lighting for Day 7 with her. One of the remnants of Jewish paroehial sehool edueation is the lifelong ability to read Hebrew. After the eandles are lit, I open my Siddur Sim Shalom, to show her where I am reading, “Barukh atah Adonai....” With the same plea that brought us to this moment, she asks, “Will you teaeh me Hebrew and diseuss Torah with me?” I re- luetantly admit that I never aetu- ally took the time to understand everything that I was reading. 0 L_ And inside, I mentally squirm in my ehair and aeeept that the Uni verse may have just kieked my butt. I also realize that I am not alone on this eireuitous path ofre- diseovery. And a dying stranger learned that neither is she. ^ The author has requested anonymity. Purim Feast at Ohr HaTorah on March 5 A magnifieent Purim feast will be hosted by Ohr HaTorah on Purim Day whieh falls on Thurs day, Mareh 5 this year. The feast will feature delieious Israeli eui- sine and a full Kosher wine bar. Purim is the annual eelebration for Jews as a day of thanksgiving, joy and out of the ordinary eheer. The story of Purim reeorded in the Seroll of Esther, whieh is one of the 24 Books of the Bible. The story is doeumented in remarkable detail and takes the reader through a dazzling journey of suspense and adventure. At the end of the book is the request from Mordeehai and Esther to Jews of all generations, that they should eelebrate this festive day of Purim by giving gifts to the poor and sending food gifts to friends. Lis tening to the reading of the seroll of Esther and enjoying a festive feast at the end of the day is also ineluded in their request. The Purim feast will also fea ture a Purim play and Purim musie. The feast begins at 6 PM at Congregation Ohr HaTorah. Cel ebrants are eneouraged to eome dressed in eostume, but it is not mandatory. The festivities will begin with the reading of the Megillah - Seroll of Esther on Wednesday night, Mareh 4, at 6:45 PM. Tra ditional Purim treats like Haman- tasehen will be served after the Megillah reading. Thursday, Mareh 5, the Megillah will be read as part of the morning serviee whieh begins at 6:30 AM (the reading of the Megillah will be at about 7 AM). The Megillah will be read onee more at 5 o’eloek in the afternoon for those who eannot attend the morning reading. The Purim feast is open to the entire eommunity. The fee to at tend the Purim Feast: $18 per per son and $10 per ehild. The serviees and Grand Purim feast will be held at Congregation Ohr HaTorah, 6619 Sardis Road in Charlotte. For more information and for reservations please visit our website at www.ehabadne.org or eall our offiee at 704-366- 3984. « A strong academic foundation for living Jewishly Open House Sunday, Thursday, Feb. 8 Feb. 12 10 -11:30 am i 9:15-10:45 am CjDS Charlotte Jewish Day School Our small class size and ability to differentiate instruction allow our students to succeed and thrive. Not only did our students outperforryi ERB national norms for mastery in math, reading and writing, they consistently met or exceeded other independent school students in these same content areas. RSVPs appreciated but not required to bfoxx@cjdschool.org. We look forward to meeting your family as you explore what CJDS offers your child. 704.366.45581 CJDSchool.org
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Feb. 1, 2015, edition 1
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