What most Holocaust survivors wanted immediately after the war was to be reunited with their families. Many survivors, some of them children, had no one left. One such survivor was Rena Quint, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday. On the day of the party, hosted by one of her daughters and sons-in-law, namely Naomi and Bob Silverman, she received news of the birth of her 58th great-grandchild.
There could be no better birthday present.
Although not all her offspring and their spouses were able to attend, the majority of those crowded into the hall of Beit Shemesh’s Netzach Menashe synagogue were family members, joined by less than a dozen friends – even though Quint has many friends in Israel and abroad, some of whom appeared in a video to congratulate her and wish her many more years of joy.
A son-in-law, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren took turns in telling her how much they appreciate and love her, noting that she was born prior to the launch of many inventions and ground-breaking achievements that are now universally taken for granted. The common thread among Quint’s grandchildren was how much they love eating the French toast she makes them whenever they visit, and how on their special birthdays she and their grandfather Rabbi Emanuel Quint (who passed away in 2018) used to take them on trips abroad or to Eilat. Those they took to Eilat belong to a branch of the family that refuses to set foot outside of Israel.
Quint’s Indian caregiver, Hetal Vanraj, who is treated as a member of the family, helped put up the decorations, which included greatly enlarged photographs of Quint and her husband, with her grandchildren, and on her own. In addition to a sumptuous buffet, there was a four-tiered chocolate cake covered in white frosting with a gold-lettered inscription.
Quint hardly got around to eating because she was so busy embracing every grandchild and great-grandchild who came to kiss her and wish her well.
■ MEDICAL CENTERS work hand in glove with paramedical organizations not only in treating patients but also in bringing quality into their lives. Dorraine Gilbert-Weiss’s husband, Barry Weiss, is a permanent patient at Herzog Medical Center. His wife is so pleased with the treatment he is receiving that she published an account by paramedic Batya Shushan of how hospital staff and Magen David Adom helped a young patient celebrate his bar mitzvah.
“We had the privilege of helping Yosef Yitzhak (Yoske) – a brave 13-year-old boy hospitalized in Herzog Medical Center’s Children’s Chronic Respiratory Unit – fulfill his dream of celebrating his rite of passage at the Western Wall.
“With the extraordinary support of Magen David Adom’s Wish Ambulance team and the unwavering dedication of our pediatric staff, Yosef was transported safely from his hospital bed to Jerusalem’s most sacred site, where his family awaited with tears, prayers, and open arms.
“And then something beautiful happened: Worshipers and passersby noticed the moment and gathered around, offering blessings, songs, and smiles. In those few sacred minutes, a boy who spends his days connected to life-support equipment was lifted by the embrace of an entire community. Seeing the joy in Yoske’s eyes and the love surrounding him was unforgettable.”
Herzog staff added: “This was a dream months in the making. For us, providing world-class medical care also means creating moments of joy, dignity, and connection to family and tradition.”
Gilbert-Weiss, who is also an ardent supporter of other causes, asks charitable individuals to consider Herzog Medical Center.
■ THIS IS the time of year when numerous organizations ask for financial donations. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of causes relying on the public for fiscal support.
One such organization is the Friendship Circle run by dayan Eli Canterman and his wife, Chanie, the directors of Chabad of Talbiyeh, Mamilla. In one or both capacities, they have raised money for orphaned families and special-needs children and have created projects such as Challah Bakes of Hope for mothers of hostages and for evacuees whose homes have been destroyed, as well as Hanukkah events and many other social outlets to bring people together in a spirit of joy, harmony, and mutual caring.
The remaining goal in their current fund-raising campaign is a relatively modest $640,000, since the halfway mark for the total campaign has already been reached, thanks to friends who have pledged to double every donation.
■ IN OTHER unrelated Chabad news, Rabbi Yisroel Goldberg and his wife, Shoshi, the directors of Chabad of Rehavia-Nahlaot, have become first-time grandparents. Their daughter Mushky and son-in-law Shneur Chaviv have presented them with a grandson, whose youngest uncle is not much older than the baby.
■ SEVERAL WEEKS ago, retired restaurateur Marcel Hess and his wife, Suzanne, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and were planning to treat congregants at the Ohel Yitzhak synagogue to what Hess calls “a Polish kiddush,” similar to the one he catered in his native Switzerland half a century earlier. In those days, he was told that no one would eat the food because that kind of kiddush was not the custom in Switzerland, where wine and crackers were the norm. But the young man, who was later to become known as the “Sausage King,” ignored the warnings and prepared a large amount of cholent and kishke – all of which was consumed to the last morsel. This, of course, led to many more such Shabbat repasts in Switzerland and in Israel.
Due to the synagogue’s prior arrangements, Hess’s golden jubilee event was postponed until the second half of December, when, to his delight, this kiddush fare, too, was consumed with gusto.
Hess and his wife also presented gifts to the congregants: a jigsaw puzzle for the children and a souvenir mug for the adults.
Hess loves to cook traditional European Jewish food, and while there are bound to be many more kiddushim in the years ahead, the one he caters for his 60th diamond wedding anniversary is sure to be his pièce de résistance.
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