,

Saving Lives

Program to place defibrillators in synagogues gets boost from Jewish Fund and Sinai Guild.

DEBRA ISAACS
Special to the Jewish News

IVIT

hen someone collapses in
synagogue, chances are
good there's .a doctor in
the house.
But in cases of cardiac arrest, which is
estimated to take 250,000 lives each year
in the U.S., having a neurosurgeon or
urologist on premises probably won't get
the job done. Training in cardiopul-
monary resuscitation (CPR) is key, but
so is access to an automated external
defibrillator (AED), a device many are
familiar with from those blood-spattered
television shows that detail emergency-
room heroics.
AEDs, which jolt the heart back to a
regular rhythm, are becoming common-
place in shopping malls, airplanes, office
buildings and, in some cities like
Cleveland, synagogues. As of Sept. 1, the
lifesaving devices are in all schools in
New York state and, since 1997, all states
have enacted defibrillator laws, some
even allocating money to public agencies
to buy them.
At the urging of the Maimonides
Society, a group of local physicians that
sponsors lectures and meets regularly, the
Jewish Fund recently authorized a grant,
in a 50-50 partnership with the Sinai
Guild, to help area synagogues buy
AEDs. The money, a total of $68,000,
will be used for the purchase of
Medtronic Inc. defibrillators. Each syna-
gogue wanting one must supply a
$1,500 of the $3,000 cost.
A few emergency-room doctors affiliat-
ed with Detroit Medical Center have
offered training on the devices for free,
said Jodee Fishman Raines, director of
the Jewish Fund. The $60 foundation,
which makes grants for community proj-
ects, was started with proceeds from the
1997 sale of Sinai Hospital to DMC.
The Fund's administrator is the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
A few local synagogues, Congregation
Shaarey Zedek and Temple Beth El
among them, already own the AED
machines. Neither has used them, but
the peace of mind that comes with hav-
ing them is well worth the investment,
said Thomas Jablonski, Beth El's execu-
tive director.
With funds from private donors, Beth
El bought two defibrillators, for $4,000

9/13
2002

14

apiece, in February. Jablonski
initiative to start something,"
said the Bloomfield Township
Dr. Kelman said. "These [defib-
Fire Department helped the
rillators] are intended to be a
temple choose machines com-
bridge between the time some-
patible with its lifesaving
one falls and an ambulance gets
devices. And the department's
there. It's a golden 10 minutes
safety services officer provided
between life and death."
training to Beth El's teachers,
In fact, the idea of the syna-
secretarial and maintenance .
gogue buying an AED surfaced
staff ushers and volunteers.
about four years ago, but at the
Forty-two people signed on over
time, Young Israel of Southfield
a two-month period. The crew
had other, more pressing finan-
also learned basic CPR.
cial commitments, he said.
"It's hope that you've got
"With the Jewish Fund
some insurance, and like insur-
involved, it the difference
ance, you never want to use it,"
between a 'no' and a 'yes' vote,"
Jablonski said.
Dr. Kelman said.
Jerry Eizen, an emergency
AEDs are designed to detect a
medical technician and firefight-
heartbeat, and if there is none,
er in Livonia, was a member of
deliver as much voltage as is
the committee formed to advise
needed. The Jewish Fund will
the Jewish Fund on the AEDs.
buy the devices through Heart
He said the machines are easy to
AED in Highland, Mich., for
use — AEDs are "firefighter-
$3,000 apiece, including a cabi-
Dr. Manny Sklar of Franklin shows the defibrillator
proof," requiring only that the
net for storage.
at Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
user place two patches on the
Sandra Jaffa, executive direc-
patient and follow instructions,
tor of the Sinai Guild, which
he said — and a shock won't be
vice president. Like the Detroit project,
celebrates its 50th anniversary
delivered unless the heart has stopped.
recipients had to come up with the dol-
this year, said the Guild got involved in
But Eizen cautioned that the response
lars to match the grant. Seven syna-
the defibrillator project because it fits its
time of the local fire department or
gogues and nine agencies did.
mission perfectly. This is the first time
ambulance service is critical, too, in the
AEDS were "going into use in a lot of
the Guild and Fund have collaborated,
survival of a cardiac arrest patient.
public places, including the public air-
she added.
"I'm afraid people will grab a defibrilla- port here in Cleveland. Many of our
The Guild, based at the Weisberg
tor and shock a person and think after,
police forces are using them in their
Cancer Treatment Center in Farmington
the person will get up and thank them
police cars. It seemed like a good idea,
Hills, had functioned as the fund-raising
for saving their life," he said. What the
something that, for not a lot of money,
arm of Sinai Hospital until the hospital's
machines do is make sure there is a
could save lives," Freiman said.
closure. Today, it serves to raise money
heartbeat before an ambulance arrives."
He said he's heard of one synagogue
for medical projects within and outside
Eizen, a board member of Young Israel that has used its defibrillator twice, both
of the Jewish community. Grants last
of Oak Park, is confident the board will
times saving lives.
year totaled $100,000; this year's will be
agree to kick in $1,500 to match the
"But it's not only to protect congre-
similar, Jaffa said.
Jewish Fund grant. If the synagogue had
gants; its also to protect the staff," he
The defibrillator project officially kicks
bought one on its own, the cost would
said.
off on Monday, Sept. 23. The Jewish
be around $4,000, he said.
Dr. Robert Kelman, a committee
Fund has invited all area synagogues to a
According to the American Heart
member who practices emergency medi-
meeting at the Max M. Fisher Federation
Association, a victim's chances of survival
cine at St. John Macomb Hospital and
Building in Bloomfield Township to hear
are reduced by 7 to 10 percent with
works out of Providence Hospital, said
about the program.
every minute that passes without treat-
his shul, Young Israel of Southfield, likely
"If we have a huge demand, we'll give
ment. Few resuscitation attempts succeed will take advantage of the grant, too.
priority to those that don't have them.
after 10 minutes have elapsed. Overall, in
Dr. Kelman said he heard that some
But if we have enough resources, we can
places where there's widespread use of
20 years ago, a worshipper died after col-
help people buy another one or a third,"
defibrillators, the survival rate is as high
lapsing on Yom Kippur. Because of the
Raines said.
as 49 percent.
length of services on Rosh Hashanah and
A separate $10,000 Jewish Fund grant,
The Jewish Community Federation of
the fast on Yom Kippur, he pointed out
in conjunction with $10,000 from Sinai-
Cleveland received a grant last October
that the potential is high for some kind
Grace Hospital, will help Federation
to buy defibrillators for its constituent
'of medical emergency.
agencies buy defibrillators, too. That pro-
agencies and local synagogues, said
"If someone collapsed, probably the
gram should be in place by the end of
Harvey Freiman, Cleveland Federation
physicians around would have enough
the year, Raines said. ❑