Yahrzeit Siyum

Alan and I went to the first Yahrzeit Siyum in memory of Harav Asher Naftali Freed Z"L, a good friend who was niftar last January 1st (7th day of Chanukah, 6 months after being diagnosed with stomach cancer. Asher and I had an interesting relationship. He was the only Orthodox Chaplain at UMMC for the last 3 years of his life. At the same time he was studying for a degree in pastoral counseling. He needed a typist, to weekly type his verbatims for class. These were actual verbatim conversations he had with the patients he visited. He was very caring and spiritual in these visits.

For me it was something more -- Asher provided me with a link to my father A"H. Aba also was a hospital chaplain (joke was...when I was in H.S. he left prison chaplaincy and became a hospital chaplain - a friend asked across a crowded NYC subway car: "Is you father still in jail?" I answered, "Nah, he's in the hospital now, he likes it much better." You can imagine the horrified looks which were aimed at me.)

Anyway, back to Asher, A"H. My father also took a degree in pastoral counseling while I was in college. Everytime I typed one of these verbatims for Asher, (some weeks there were 2)which I did over a two year period, I thought of Aba. I thought of his discussions with us, on how he treated dying patients, or unbelieving patients, how he comforted them, counseled them, just held their hand without saying a word. I was reminded of how Aba used to insist on taking us to hospitals (where we waited in the lobby while he did a quick visit with congregants) so that we could go on a family outing afterwards.

I thank you Asher for bringing my Aba back to life for me over those 2+ years that we worked together. I hope that Asher and Aba are enjoying each other's company in Olam haba, rehashing hospital chaplaincy stories. Yehi zichram baruch!!