New Chabad Care Centre for Montreal’s Mega Hospital
Over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, overlooking the shimmering lights of the new MUHC, supporters and friends – including leading members of the medical community in Montreal- gathered at the stunning new Chabad Care Hospitality Center in Montreal. They came to celebrate the remarkable work of Chabad Care at the MUHC Glen and to inaugurate the newly opened Chabad Care Hospitality Centre which features a Kosher Kitchen, Café, Workspace and lounge for patients and staff at the MUHC.
Speaker after speaker underscored the tremendous work and accomplishments of the newly opened Chabad Care centre, which played a vital role in supporting both patients and staff during the Covid epidemic and lockdowns and continues to be an oasis of comfort and vital services.
“Patients & families at MUHC are privileged to count on the support and services of Chabad Care in their time of need”, says Dr. Pierre Gfeller. Gfeller is the President and Executive Director of the MUHC, the newly opened and long-anticipated Hospital Complex which includes the renowned Montreal Children’s Hospital, Royal Victoria Hospital, The Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, Cedar Medical Center, and the Montreal Chest Institute.
The New Chabad Care center was launched as part of the 120th year commemoration of the Rebbe’s birth, by Rabbi Yossi Shanowitz, head Shliach of Chabad Westmount, under the auspices of Rabbi Berel Mockin, head Shliach of Montreal and Quebec.
It is being led by Rabbi Shimon and Rivkah Partouche as part of the worldwide Chabad on Call network. “The mission of Chabad on Call is to provide a home away from home for patients and families” says Chani Goldberg, director of Chabad on Call at Merkos 302, “we are proud to have Rabbi Shimon and Rivkah Partouche at Chabad Care as part of our network and salute the vital service they are providing on the ground to the hospitals at the MUHC.”
Located just across the street from the hospitals, the new center boasts a modern, hip decor, with a most welcoming ambiance. It also hosts a Kosher kitchen to prepare Shabbos meals & packages, a weekday Cafe, a welcoming lounge and workspace, as well as a kid’s play area – an oasis for those in need of support during their time of healing.
Dr. Shevell, Chief Pediatrician at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, underscored the importance of the work that Rabbi Shimon and Rivkah Partouche do at the Children’s: “As someone who deals with patients and their families, I can tell you that providing a space that can serve as a support for these families is something is truly remarkable and is something we all support.”
A brand new hospitality apartment suite with a kitchen & living area is currently in the works and will be opening in the coming months.
The center has also become a hub for local volunteers who want to help others during a time of need, an accomplishment that is not lost on the leadership at the MUHC: ” Their generosity, thoughtfulness, and acts of kindness, says president and Executive Director of the MUHC Gfeller “are without a doubt, greatly appreciated.”
To support their vital work please visit www.chabadcare.ca/donate
