Yated Ne'Eman, 5759 (1999)

AN ELEVEN-YEAR OLD DREAM COMES TRUE

By Solomon Klein

Mrs. U. with her parents, brother and 11 year old son from Tashkent, Russia arrived here in Brooklyn just under a year ago. When Mrs. U.'s son was born he had a medical condition related to his stomach which did not allow him to have a Bris at that time. When he B"H got better he was already too big to have a Bris by a mohel that only does babies and where they lived they did not have contact with a mohel who can do the Bris.

A few years ago Mrs. U.'s son was hurt and needed surgery on his arm. Where they were, they did not have anesthesia and therefore performed surgery without anesthesia. From the pain and  fright Rachmana Nitzlan he was traumatized and treated accordingly. Even after getting better, the recollection of that incident or other pain was a risk of falling into a state of trauma.

Mrs. U., who both of her grandfathers were Talmedei Chachomim and one of them a Rav of a large Shul, values Torah and Mitzvos and was very concerned about how her son would be able to have a Bris. As time went on Mrs. U. was more and more troubled thinking about this matter.

When Mrs. U. was looking for a mohel someone recommended that she call Rabbi Meir Eidelman asking him if he could be Mal her son. Once Mrs. U. started talking to Rabbi Eidelman  everything began to fall into place and she realized that she was on the road to having her dream of a Bris Milah for her son fulfilled. Rabbi Eidelman assured Mrs. U. that he would immediately start making necessary arrangements to be Mal her son.

Rabbi Eidelman called the team of doctors and dedicated staff that he works with at Coney Island Hospital, collected the necessary funds and made the arrangements for him to do the Bris in the operating room while Mrs. U.'s son would be under general  anesthesia. This helps avoid the risk of trauma that could occur in this situation. Rabbi Eidelman went with Mrs. U. to the hospital to help Mrs. U. take care of the necessary paper work to schedule the Bris. The hospital staff told Mrs. U. that even though the Bris was scheduled for that Thursday 8:00 a.m. and Rabbi Eidelman with the doctors do not start until then, she should be there with her son at 6:30 a.m. for additional paper work and so on.

The night before the Bris Mrs. U. called Rabbi Eidelman to say she is concerned about being there before the Bris without him. Would Rabbi Eidelman bring them there by 6:30 a.m. and wait with them to offer morale support? Rabbi Eidelman accepted happily and drove them to the hospital the next morning. On the way to the hospital Mrs. U. said that it is over 11 years that she is waiting for this day.

At the hospital everything went B"H so well. The staff proved themselves to be courteous and helpful. Rabbi Eidelman was Mal Mrs. U.'s son in the operating room and gave him a Jewish name in the recovery room. This was a Kidush Hashem in itself; the other patients in the recovery room got to watch the religious ceremony.

Rabbi Eidelman, seeing Mrs. U. and her son so thankful and moved by the help the received, took advantage of the situation and spoke to them about Rabbi Avrohom Binsky and his loyal Kehilah. This Kehilah, Kehilas Moreshes Yaakov, is a special Kehilah located in the hart of Flatbush. They are comprised of completely Shomrei Torah U'mitzvos former communist Russian citizens. Rabbi Eidelman wasted no time and the following Shabbos walked Mrs. U. and her family to Rabbi Binsky's Kehilah's Shalash Seudis where Mrs. U. and her family were so warmly greeted and welcomed.

This Rosh Hashanah after eating a Yom Tov Seudah by the Eidelman family they decided that public school is not acceptable. The next morning Mrs. U.'s son was learning with his new friends in Be'er Hagolah Yeshivah. Mrs. U.'s family is making much progress with the help of Rabbi Binsky and his Kehilah