Brooklyn Boro

Faith In Brooklyn for May 26

May 26, 2017 By Francesca Norsen Tate, Religion Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
From left: Director of Pastoral Care Rabbi Benzion Leser; Rev. Joojo Obu-Mends, Maimonides chaplain; Douglas Jablon; Maimonides President and CEO Kenneth Gibbs; Dr. Greg Ribakove; Dr. Marcel Biberfeld; Dr. Jacob Shani, chair of cardiology; Maimonides Trustee Rev. Msgr. David Cassato; and Dr. John Houten. Photo courtesy of Maimonides Medical Center
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Clergy and Doctors Gather for Program on Groundbreaking Health Care Services

Maimonides, Medical Center’s Namesake, Was Doctor, Rabbi and Scientist

To emphasize the connection between physical and spiritual health, Maimonides Medical Center recently hosted a conference for Brooklyn clergy members to meet clinical leadership and become further acquainted with many of the groundbreaking healthcare services provided at Maimonides.

The medical center is named for Moses Maimonides, who lived in the 12th century and is widely considered the greatest Jewish philosopher.

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His professional life brought together the medical and spiritual arts: he was a doctor, rabbi, religious scholar, mathematician and astronomer. A native of Spain, young Maimonides received his education from his father, a judge. He lived in Cairo and wrote most of his works in Arabic, one of his many languages.

Maimonides’ work “Guide of the Perplexed,” published in 1190, posited that the Bible and Jewish faith could be reconciled with reason and logic.

Living in as diverse a culture as Brooklyn is today, Maimonides was deeply committed to intercultural bonds and to humane care. The famous adage, “The physician should not treat the disease, but rather the patient who is suffering from it,” is attributed to him. Maimonides wrote extensively on several medical conditions ranging from asthma to diabetes and hepatitis.

In this same vein, Maimonides Medical Center in Borough Park brought together clergy and medical professionals.

“We invited clergy from across the borough to this event so they could become informed of the latest advances in care,” said Kenneth Gibbs, Maimonides president and CEO. “But also, we wanted everyone to enjoy meeting one another and breaking bread together.”

Dr. Marcel Biberfeld, senior vice president of community services and chaplaincy, said, “Clergy are often approached by congregation members with questions or concerns about their health or the health of a loved one. We want to be a resource for all of Brooklyn’s clergy whenever they need our assistance in matters of health and wellness.”

Religious leaders from Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist congregations attended the conference, in addition to the chaplains of the Armed Forces, NYPD and FDNY. A special note was given to the presence of the Most Rev. James Massa, auxiliary bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.  

Giving presentations were Dr. Jacob Shani, chair of cardiology; Dr. Greg Ribakove, chief of cardiothoracic surgery; Dr. John Houten, director of spinal neurosurgery and neuro-trauma; and Dr. Steven Rudolph, director of the Jaffe Stroke Center.

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Youth Program’s Short Play Tackles Segregation in NYC School System

The New York City school system is a hotbed of segregation, according to youths who express that sentiment through the arts.

The Forum @ St. Ann’s next presentation, “Keeping It 100: Students Challenge School Segregation,” will incorporate a performance of a short play titled “Laundry City.” New York City high school youths, who participate in the arts leadership program Epic NEXT, conceived, wrote and will perform in this show about school integration.

Presented in partnership with New York Appleseed and The Century Foundation — organizations at the forefront of education policy — the performance will take place on Tuesday, May 30, at 6:30 p.m. in the historic sanctuary of St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn Heights.

These groups claim that the New York City school district is the most segregated in the country. “Laundry City” makes the case for school integration policies that benefit all young people through what EPIC describes as “a hilarious and provocative exploration of what ‘separate but equal’ means to us today.”

St. Ann’s parishioners David Tipson, New York Appleseed executive director; and Halley Potter Taylor, a policy associate with The Century Foundation; will introduce the 40-minute piece. Tipson and Taylor each have written extensively on and advocate for reversing policies that they say disproportionately favor white students in the New York City school system. In their remarks, they will place the matter of school integration in a broader context of the values espoused by people of faith.

A reception will follow the program. A freewill offering will be invited to support the sponsoring organizations and future Forum @ St. Ann’s programming. This event is free and open All are encouraged to attend. The church is at Montague and Clinton streets in Brooklyn Heights.

The Forum @ St. Ann’s is a parish initiative that seeks to engage the wider community in thoughtful and timely conversations about art, ideas and civic life. Organized by volunteers, the Forum has mounted a series of successful art exhibitions, film screenings, poetry and book readings, panel discussions, and recitals.

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A Mother’s Dream Comes True at Wedding in Times Square

It was a parents’ dream — to have their children marry.

On Mother’s Day, and in Times Square — the crossroads of the world, that dream came true.

When Hadassa Halperin and JJ Hecht II got married on May 14, their wedding was the fruit of a match made by the bridegroom’s mother. She had casually discussed her last unmarried child to an acquaintance as they attended the Brooklyn menorah lighting together last December.  

The synergy that this conversation created led to the marriage of two Jewish dynasties in a traditional Orthodox ceremony, with Rabbi Shea Hecht officiating. This patriarch of what is known as largest rabbinical family in the world married the last of his 10 children in view of than 200 wedding guests as well as onlookers of all faiths and the public looking on from the pedestrian mall.

The groom, JJ Hecht II, is atypical of his Chabad community. Five months ago, the roller blader, skier, social media user and adventurer, agreed to be introduced to Hadassa Halperin of Toronto. The wedding also featured a klezmer band, traditional dancing, a troop of little girls in pink and white dresses and the ceremonial chuppah.

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Founder of Camp for Transgender Youth Gives Talk for Synagogue’s Pride Shabbat

The Brooklyn Heights Synagogue’s Pride Shabbat on June 9 will focus on the needs of transgender youth and their families. The presenter, Nick Teich, grew up and became bar mitzvah at the Heights Synagogue, where his parents are members.

Nick Teich, LCSW, is the Founder and CEO of Camp Aranu’tiq & Harbor Camps, the world’s first overnight camps for transgender youth and their families. Since 2009, he has worked year-round to prepare for and run these camp programs. He is the author of “Transgender 101: A Simple Guide to a Complex Issue.” He has a deep personal interest in helping transgender people to be themselves.

The Pride Shabbat service begins at 6:30 p.m. with a wine-and-cheese “Pre-neg” half an hour before the worship.

The following week, the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue presents another Pride event, a viewing of Eddie Rosenstein’s film, “The Freedom to Marry,” a film by. This film chronicles the inside story of the same-sex marriage movement through the eyes of those who led the fight. The viewing begins at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 9.

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Training Offered on Knowing One’s Rights When Dealing with Police or Customs

What is the wisest thing to do if the police or someone from Customs and Border Control stops you? What if you’re a natural-born citizen but you don’t have ID handy to prove it?

First Presbyterian Church is offering a training to help the community “Know Your Rights: What to Do If You’re Stopped by the Police/Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Customs and Border Patrol.”

First Church partner, Faith in New York, informs immigrant New Yorkers, both documented and undocumented, of their rights when interacting with both immigration officers and police. All are welcome to the training, taking place on Saturday, May 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the gym.


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