Barbara Weissman (l-r), Jerry Weissman, Miriam Baum Benkoe and Jeffrey Benkoe all had a hand in opening the kosher pantry at Bethesda Hospital East in Boynton Beach. Photo provided
By Jan Engoren
When Boynton Beach resident Jennifer Abels, an account manager for an environmental lab service company, had out-of-town visitors from Montreal recently, they headed to the beach.
Not accustomed to the Florida sun, Abels’ cousin began feeling ill from the heat.
After a call to 911, she was taken to Bethesda Hospital East and treated with IV fluids.
Once she felt better, the two, who keep kosher diets, thought about finding something to eat at the hospital.
Abels, who is in her 40s and the mother of three grown children, had read about the opening of the kosher pantry at Bethesda and asked a nurse about it.
“They were super-helpful,” Abels said. She found the pantry on the fourth floor and grabbed some soup and crackers to sustain them over the four-hour period they spent in the emergency room.
Having this service available is “priceless,” Abels said. “To have this kosher pantry available gives us peace of mind. If I ever have to go to the hospital again, just knowing this is available puts my mind at ease.”
Abels’ experience highlights the unmet need that had long been recognized by hospital staff and community volunteers, leading to the effort to bring the pantry to fruition.
After one year of planning, the pantry opened in mid-April during the Passover holiday to serve the dietary needs of Orthodox Jewish patients and their families.
Bethesda is at 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach.
The pantry is a joint effort between the hospital’s chaplain, the Rev. Kathleen Gannon, and her pastoral care team and volunteers Miriam Baum Benkoe and Jennie Yudin.
Benkoe is from the Annette Alter Behar Bikur Cholim of Boynton Beach and Yudin from the Florida Chesed Network.
Bikur Cholim, or “visiting the sick,” is a Jewish commandment to alleviate the suffering of people who are ill, and the Chesed Network is a social service agency.
“We’re committed to meeting our patients where they are,” said Gannon, an Episcopal priest who trained in interfaith disciplines. “We study, we learn and respond to the unique and sacred needs of our patients.”
A typical food pantry caters to a broader population experiencing food insecurity and may not offer food that complies with Jewish dietary laws or is readily accessible on the Sabbath.
The new pantry offers complimentary kosher sandwiches, salads, snacks, coffee and prepared foods that can be heated up in separate microwaves designated for dairy or meat.
The Bikur Cholim was started by Benkoe and named for her mother, who died seven years ago. Benkoe, a teacher from Oceanside, New York, began volunteering at Bethesda before the pandemic and envisioned the day when the hospital would have a kosher pantry, as do many hospitals in areas of large Jewish populations.
“It’s a godsend for people,” Benkoe said. “It’s a big help and blessing to accommodate the needs of patients and their loved ones.”
Yudin, the liaison to the Florida Chesed Network, worked with Benkoe to realize their vision of the pantry.
Originally from Baltimore, Yudin worked as a critical care technician at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore and in its patient experience department, where she helped patients navigate the hospital system, a role that prepared her for her position at the Chesed Network.
With other kosher pantries at Delray Medical Center, Boca Raton Regional Hospital and at Baptist Main in Miami, Yudin says the outcry for having this service in Boynton Beach has been growing for the past three years.
Part of that reason is the growth of the Orthodox Jewish population in Boynton Beach, especially since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, when many people left New York for Florida.
The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County predicts that by 2026, the Palm Beaches will be home to 200,000 Jewish residents.
“The community is beyond excited and grateful,” Yudin said.
During Passover, the team put together a seder plate for patients and family members visiting during the holiday.
Gannon said the response has been positive.
“I get a phone call at least once a week thanking us for reaching out to our Jewish patients,” she said. “The response has been excellent.”
Jerry Weissman, part of the Florida Chesed Network and one of the inaugural donors to the program, moved to Florida from Brooklyn in 2019 just before the pandemic.
Weissman, who says he is “orthodox from birth,” worked in the health care industry for more than 50 years and saw a need for this service when he moved to Boynton Beach.
“With more Orthodox Jewish families moving into the area, the need for this type of service is growing,” he said.
Because Orthodox Jews cannot travel by car on the Sabbath, they may be stuck in the hospital from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, and need a room where they can eat a kosher meal or have a snack and relax.
“It’s a true mitzvah of the hospital and the larger Jewish community to take care of these patients and their families,” Weissman said. “This is a proud moment for us.”
Jan Engoren writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to jengoren@hotmail.com.
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