The Angels of Soroka: "We Didn't Want the Patients' Companions to Suffer"

A Holocaust survivor who drowned in the Dead Sea, an elderly couple from central Israel without a place to sleep or eat, and parents accompanying their child who was hospitalized due to an injury - up until about two and a half years ago, these people had to 'spend' Shabbat in the corridors or lawns of Soroka Hospital. Since the Shabbat Center opened, there is now a solution for Shabbat observers who are at the hospital or find themselves there involuntarily over Shabbat. The coordinators are now calling on couples: "Come be hosting couples on weekends." Children cannot be brought to the Shabbat Center.       

The Shabbat Center at Soroka Hospital hosts patients discharged close to Shabbat or family members and companions 'stranded' in the hospital over Shabbat without a place to sleep and eat. Hosting is free of charge. The center operates from the hospital's day-care ward, which closes on weekends. It offers 35 beds, meals, coffee, and a place to relax and rest.   

Soroka University Medical Center is the only and main hospital in the Negev region, located in Be'er Sheva, offering medical services to about a million residents from Kiryat Gat and Ashkelon to Eilat. Soroka is the third-largest hospital in Israel with 1,087 beds spread over 291 dunams.

Yehuda Spector, a hospital volunteer and the Shabbat Center's coordinator, initiated this endeavor about two and a half years ago alongside Lea Haber, secretary of the hospital's children's division. Spector, living in Be'er Sheva for the past 20 years, volunteers while managing the Be'er Sheva branch of the 'Jewish Soul' student project. Twelve years ago, he had the chance to accompany acquaintances involved in a car accident hospitalized here. "We had nowhere to stay over Shabbat; we quickly realized there was an issue. Before the center opened, companions would remain alone in a chair or wander the lawns without organized meals. Now there is a solution." 

Holocaust Survivor 'Stranded' at the Hospital

Spector continues: "As there was an available ward, it was decided to allocate it to us as a haven of calm for Shabbat keepers. Hospitals naturally lack a Shabbat atmosphere. With the center's establishment, we managed to create a place devoid of the hospital's hustle. It's designed like a couple's home. For each volunteering couple, I say: 'This is your home for the coming Shabbat; you're hosting people from lodging to meals. Your role is to provide them a place to lay their heads or quietly drink coffee.' Couples host without bringing their children and are often without or with grown children, so they come alone. It's a whole ward with 22 beds, plus additional sleeping spots, totaling space for 30-35 guests."

Lea Haber adds: "Yehuda Spector maintains weekend hosting rooms voluntarily, independently of the Shabbat Center. My late father, Eliyahu Zagron, expelled from Gush Katif, fell ill after the expulsion and was hospitalized at Soroka with no place for *Kiddush*. He said if he survived, he'd open Sabbath rooms. Although he passed, we decided to open Sabbath rooms near the wards, with features like a fridge and hotplate. But it wasn't enough. Observant Jews arriving had no provision on Shabbat. The catalyst was an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor who drowned at sea and was brought here in swimwear.

"He was discharged close to Shabbat, with nowhere to return. We found him a temporary solution, but this prompted us to combine forces and open an accommodation center for Shabbat observers. Over time, families who don't travel on Shabbat arrived and dined with observant guests hosting here - this is Israel at its best. The place is sustained by couples nationwide seeking blessings. Fortunate enough, most were blessed and can't host anymore—what an honor. It's an indescribable experience. We had a family whose son was in a car accident, decided to observe Shabbat, and during Shabbat, their son awoke.

"You witness unconditional love here. It's tough work being a hosting couple, but it's a tremendous contribution to Israel. You never know who will arrive, whom you'll meet. Some Shabbats brim with sadness and pain. But there's always Shabbat songs and words of Torah."

A Blessing for Offspring

One guest, an ultra-Orthodox woman in her 70s, residing in central Israel, still recalls the experience. "We came to the hospital from the Dead Sea following my husband's injury. Released close to Shabbat, we found ourselves alone, unable even to buy something to honor Shabbat. I admit I was anxious. As elderly people, it’s not pleasant being stranded in the desert on Shabbat, with nowhere to rest. My husband felt stressed; he'd been injured, not simple. I asked a hospital staff member, one wearing a kippah, for possible Shabbat assistance, and he directed us to the Shabbat Center.

"Upon arriving, we were warmly welcomed, warming our hearts. They cared for us from entry to exit, even helping us find the cheapest taxi back to the hotel. Their kindness was extraordinary; it saved and warmed us, knowing such a service exists. Dining around the table, we enjoyed the atmosphere immensely. We met people we'd never have known otherwise, each with different stories and circumstances bringing them here. It was captivating and humane. Upon returning home, we mainly shared our hosting experience and Shabbat tales with the kids. It was salvation in the desert.

Lea Haber says the hosting couple tours the hospital and informs companions or discharged patients about the center. "A family hosts monthly, posting on social media beforehand, receiving cakes and snacks. During their stay - people come like to a hotel. There's food provided, but couples always bring extra dishes like fish and cholent. Each time, it's moving. It's a lifetime experience. Couples have faced marital issues, reporting improvements in their relationships afterward. A brother and sister, both unmarried, once dedicated a Shabbat for the sake of the people of Israel. One certainty - hosts leave with an enduring emotional and value-packed experience. It's an incredible Shabbat. In wartime, you meet injured families, forging direct bonds with the people. It warms the heart."

Spector: "There’s a Midrash stating that some mitzvot have explicit rewards like honoring parents or sending away the mother bird. The reward for hospitality is children. We see it clearly. Around 85-90% of couples who arrived after years without children were blessed. I promise nothing but mention this Midrash. The couple only hosts; no cooking or fussing needed, just welcoming guests and meeting their needs.

"For guests, it’s highly significant. We’ve rescued people from having nowhere to be. We were angels to them. Some were broken, and salvation unexpectedly came. More couples are needed. Those who come leave with unmatched satisfaction. Once you do it, you just want to keep going. The giving is incredible. The positive feedback empowers you to continue."

Rabbi Spector's phone number for interested volunteer couples -052-6176135