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