Bikur Cholim Brunch Honors ‘Silent Heroes’ in Crown Heights

In the tradition of Chodesh Iyar- the month of Ani Hashem Rofecha- the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Bikur Cholim of Crown Heights held their Annual Women’s Breakfast to celebrate Hope and Healing. Full Story, Photos

May 23, 2022 – 22 Iyyar 5782

Photos: Chana Levine/COLlive

In the tradition of Chodesh Iyar- the month of Ani Hashem Rofecha- the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Bikur Cholim of Crown Heights held their Annual Women’s Breakfast to celebrate Hope and Healing.

The gorgeously arranged Oholei Torah ballroom was packed to the brim, with additional chairs being added throughout the event. Chani Greenbaum served up a lavish spring brunch, as beloved community Nurse Practitioner Tziporah Clapman led the crowd in Tehillim. Featured speaker Dini Greenberg highlighted the value of community to both the giver and the recipient by describing her shluchos in Shanghai. She recounted how she had to build her own community from scratch in China, and then again decades later in Crown Heights, after her family was temporarily stranded due to covid visa complications.

Rochie Lieberman emceed the program with humor and grace. She brought up the well known adage, “It takes a village to raise a child,” and pointed out that it takes a village to raise an adult too. As the pandemic has made apparent, we all rely on a village, a community, and what better representation is there of ‘village’ support than the community of Bikur Cholim?

Instead of listing all the services that Bikur Cholim provides, three women- each representing a different thread of Bikur cholim- bravely showed the audience the tapestry of the different types of people who make up the Bikur Cholim Community: Dina Dubrowsky, a Bikur Cholim Volunteer; Mushky Naparstek, who represented a Bikur Cholim Family; and Shani Posner, a Bikur Cholim Supporter. Their inspiring yet relatable talks described each woman’s special connections to Bikur Cholim.

The event was dedicated in memory of Hadassah Lebovic a”h, daughter of board member Esther. The program honored her family’s participation in Bikur Cholim, and Hadassah’s continued legacy of chessed, with the recently established hospitality suite, Hadassah’s Place. Hadassah’s parents made a moving video tribute to their daughter that left the audience emotionally stirred and wanting to continue Hadassah’s legacy.

Bikur Cholim honored the community’s Silent Heroes: Heads of the Shifra & Puah division of Bikur Cholim for many decades–Mrs. Chana Pinson, Mrs. Feigl Jacobson, and Mrs. Sarah Willhelm–as well as two exceptional women who went above and beyond in serving the community this past year–Shiffy Goldstein and Irit Lang.

The event set out to thank the volunteers and donors, highlight the need for bikur cholim services, encourage the community to get involved, and remember Hadassah Lebovic. It succeeded on all fronts. Each guest received a lavender silicone BE KIND FOR HADASSAH bracelet as a souvenir as well as a beautiful playbill listing sponsors and journal entries. VIP guests such as volunteers and donors received an additional gift of key chains labeled Proud Partner of Bikur Cholim.

The event was made possible through the hard work of so many, especially the Bikur Cholim Breakfast Committee: Yael Brummel, Rivka Bryski, Myriam Engelson, Gruny Grossman, Rosie Levertov, Chana Marinovsky, Chani Markowitz, Chanie Marozov and Bella Pliskin as well as the generous sponsorship of Esti Lowenbein of Esther Riezes & Co, the Brummel and Wishedsky families of Silverline, David and Eda Schottenstein Foundation, Aron and Shani Pinson of Equinium, and Shaya and Shani Posner, among many more community donors and vendors.