Rabbi Adam Ruditsky
Beth Sholom Village is not just a long-term care facility or rehab, an assisted living or memory care, but it is a dwelling place for Jewish life. At least that was so for Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, z’’l, who said: “A test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. […]the affection and care for the old, the incurable, the helpless is the true gold mines of a culture.” Caring for “the elderly” at Beth Sholom is a garden that we have been given the opportunity to tend to daily.
The values of our care go beyond our religious practices, both to Jews and non-Jews alike, but the foundation of our conduct is universal. We learn in Pirkei Avot that the world stands and endures on justice, truth, and peace—universal human qualities—and here at Beth Sholom Village, while we are certainly guided by the words of Pirkei Avot, our world also stands and endures on the pillars of Chesed, Aychut, and Kavod.
In many ways, these three pillars of our Jewish values capture the true ikar, or the very essence of who we are. Chesed, or care, is what we provide our residents. The Chesed of Beth Sholom Village is provided with the highest level of aychut, or quality. From the medical and non-medical interdisciplinary teams to the heavy lifting of our environmental, dietary, and maintenance staffs, let alone our administration, each and everything we do reflects the highest level of quality (or aychut), even more so based on those who are under our care. But the foundation of both, without question, begins with Kavod, showing dignity to all people regardless of their differences, religiously or otherwise. True Jewish values!
Another Jewish value we stand upon is Tzedakah, which we normally associate with the giving of money. While giving is certainly important in order for a place like Beth Sholom Village to function and care for our community, we also freely give of our time, talents, hearts, and minds.
Thank you for allowing us to take care of moms and dads, brothers and sisters, family, and friends. Thank you for being partners with Beth Sholom Village, as together we stand as a Jewish community because our aging population is indeed, “the true gold mines of a culture.”
Rabbi Adam Ruditsky is director of Religious Services at Beth Sholom Village.