32 | MAY 12 • 2022

Rabbi Caytak tells a story
of a man he met in a surgi-
cal waiting room. While his
wife was in surgery, they put
on tefillin together and the
man was moved to tears. “He
could not stop thanking me
for giving him this incredible
opportunity when he needed
it most.
”
Rabbi Caytak said the
chaplains at both hospitals
are incredibly welcoming and
helpful, and he has become
good friends with many of
them.
During the height of the
pandemic, there were Jews in
COVID rooms at Beaumont
Troy. He was unable to wear
the regular protective gear
to seal his face because the
N95 mask doesn’t completely
seal with a beard. “The hos-
pital specifically arranged
a CAPR, a helmet that seals
behind the beard, to accom-
modate!” he said.

Chabad Jewish Center
of Troy continues to look
for ways to service Jews.
“We are starting a program
now to provide Jewish hol-
iday programming for local
senior living and nursing
homes,
” Rabbi Caytak said.
“The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s
vision to touch every Jew
with the warmth and light of
Judaism is becoming a reality
in northern Oakland and
Macomb County.
”

OUR COMMUNITY

R

abbi Menachem
Caytak, co-founder of
Chabad Jewish Center
of Troy with his wife, Chana
Caytak, has made it a prior-
ity to service Jews in need
throughout northern Oakland
County as well as Macomb
County, especially those in the
hospital, who can’t practice
and join in Jewish traditions
by themselves.
A few months ago, Rabbi
Caytak began servicing Jewish
patients in Beaumont Troy
and now is getting ready to
service the Jewish patients
at Ascension Providence
Rochester.
Rabbi Caytak is a volunteer
rabbi on call at Beaumont
and will soon be a volunteer
rabbi on call with Ascension
Providence Rochester. This
means he can visit at least
once a week with Jewish
patients, who can also request
to see him at any time. He
provides Shabbos candles,
an opportunity to do a mitz-
vah before Shabbos, challah,
Jewish prayers and counseling.
Before Passover, he distributed
matzah to the Jewish patients

in both hospitals.
“These are Jews who are not
necessarily involved with our
organization, or for that mat-
ter, any Jewish organization,
”
Rabbi Caytak said.
“The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s
inspiration is what inspires us
to service Jews,
” he continued,
“no matter their background
or affiliation. For us, a Jew
is a Jew no matter what. We
have a saying: ‘Labels are for
shirts.
’ There is no such thing
as labeling a Jew. Even a com-
pletely not practicing Jew is
the same Jewish as the most
religious rabbi.
”
For many of the patients,
seeing a familiar face, a Jewish
rabbi offering families cus-
toms and traditions, is very
meaningful.
“It means so much for them
to be able to do a mitzvah, a
Jewish tradition or even just
a prayer during a time when
they are most vulnerable and
in need of support,
” he said.
“Once, a patient told me,
‘Rabbi, I usually wouldn’t do
this Jewish mitzvah, but now
I really want to do it for my
health.
’”

Rabbi Caytak with Ascension Providence Rochester chaplains Amity
LoVette and Cynthia Redmond

PHOTO CREDIT

Rabbi helps Jewish hospital patients in
northern Oakland County.
A Healing Touch

JN STAFF

Rabbi Caytak wearing the
CAPR at Beaumont Troy to
accommodate his beard.

Displaying an American flag outside
obviously subjects it to a variety of
weather conditions often leaving “Old
Glory” worn and tattered — even
among the best of flags. What some
folks may not know is that there’s
a respectful and appropriate way
to dispose of an aging flag, and the
Jewish War Veterans Department of
Michigan (JWV) can conveniently
make that happen for you.
The JWV has been granted per-
mission by several Metro Detroit-area
temples and synagogues to place U.S.
Flag Disposal Boxes in their lobbies.
A JWV member who is affiliated
with the temple or synagogue empties
the box periodically.
As of this writing, boxes are
currently located at Temples
Shir Shalom, Beth El, Kol-Ami,
Birmingham and Shir Tikvah, as well
as Congregations Shaarey Zedek and
Adat Shalom.
Flags that are collected will be
disposed of in a manner prescribed
by the U.S. Flag Code, in a flag retire-
ment ceremony held at Great Lakes
National Cemetery (GLNC) on Flag
Day, June 14.
The JWV asks that you drop your
flag(s) off no later than Sunday, June
12, so that final collections can be
included among the flags being deliv-
ered to the GLNC.
We are fast approaching the
Memorial and July 4th holidays.
Perhaps you’re about to raise a new
flag at your home or business. The
JWV encourages you to honor the
flag you may be replacing with the
dignity and grace it deserves.

JWV Helps with
Flag Disposal