To see a video recapping the day, click here.
Two days ago, our Madrich, Eliezer Feder, told us that we were the single chabura selected to go medical clowning in Shaare Zedek Hospital. (Editors note: Eliezer Feder has been a Medical Clown for over five years and has led many groups.) We were not enthusiastic about this, especially when he told us that we would have to sing and dance. He promised that it would be a lifetime experience to behold, and he was right.
In the hospital, it was truly wonderful making people laugh when they most desperately needed it. It was incredible to enter a room full of frowns, and leave it with fresh, huge smiles etched upon the patient’s faces.
What was most remarkable was the message I took out of the entire experience: no matter how upset you are in life, there are many worse things that you can go through; don’t take anything for granted, and be Misameach Bichelko.
My chabura and I were walking down the hospital hall after clowning for an hour when a visitor of a patient came out of a room and urged us in. We entered finding an unhappy looking patient, and we managed to put a smile on his face. He even decided to sing a song for us.
Soon after this, we left the hospital to eat, and afterwards walked to a bus stop where a free transportation service was scheduled to take us to Yad Vashem. A mini bus pulled up, and we asked the driver if it was the Yad Vashem bus. He answered no, but took us anyways for free. And who was this driver? It was the visitor of the patient who urged us into his room.
He told us something amazing that will stay in my mind forever. The man who we visited has had cancer for years and has been in tremendous pain and constant treatment. The previous day, he announced he was going to commit suicide. He was detained by the police, handcuffed, and brought to the hospital. An officer stood guard outside his room until five minutes before we came. We were able to bring the joy into the room which he so desperately needed, and perhaps helped him with his severe despair. Clearly, the apprehension my chabura and I had prior to the trip was incorrect. It was a meaningful, fun, and inspiring day which may have made my summer.
-Meir Avracen