12 | JANUARY 12 • 2023 

W

hen Rabbi Aharon Amzalak 
sees an opportunity to help 
people, he grabs it. So, it’s no 
surprise that he served as the Jewish staff 
chaplain at Beaumont Hospital in Royal 
Oak for 11 years. He recently transitioned 
to staff chaplain at Ascension Spiritual Care 
in Southfield and Novi.
In December 2021, the good-hearted 
Australian rabbi noticed that a house next 
to the hospital was available for sale. He 
realized that a comfortable accommodation 
in precisely that location would be a vital 
help for anyone with a loved one in the 
hospital. 
Rabbi Amzalak connected with his friend 
and fellow Bais Chabad of North Oak Park 
congregant Mark Gorge, who was immedi-
ately on board. Together, they rounded up 
donors, made the technical arrangements 
and, by February 2022, had closed on the 
house. That weekend they already had their 
first guest, proving just how necessary it 
was. 
“Things moved quite quickly,
” said Rabbi 
Amzalak, who lives in Oak Park with his 
wife, Miriam, and nine kids. 

After obtaining the necessary city per-
mits, the Bais Refoel Foundation was 
formed and hosted its first open house BBQ 
dinner in May. 
“It was named in memory of two com-
munity members we wanted to honor: Dr. 
Maurice (Rephael) Herschfus and Yehuda 
Refoel Elchonon,
” said Gorge, who’s a 
Bloomfield Township businessman and 
father of two. “Both experienced a tremen-
dous amount of healthcare in the last years 
of their lives, and much of it was received 
at Beaumont. We thought it was apropos to 
have the house named for them, given the 
very purpose of the house is to help families 
of patients in the hospital, just like it was in 
their cases.
”
The baisrefoel.com website was created; 
it declares the motto: “To service the health 
and wellness of the greater community.
” 

A HOME AWAY FROM HOME
The crown jewel of the Bais Refoel 
Foundation, a recognized 501(c) 3 non-
profit, is the Bais Refoel hospitality house. 
Bais Refoel is a ranch, consisting of three 
bedrooms with locks on the doors for pri-

vacy. The house offers wi-fi, a family room 
complete with children’s toys, plenty of 
reading material and many religious items. 
The kosher kitchen is fully stocked, with the 
rabbi refilling supplies as needed. They also 
provide cleaning staff and handymen. 
People can request a reservation at Bais 
Refoel through the website. There is no 
cost. Although it was designed for people 
with a loved one at Beaumont, particularly 
for members of the Orthodox community 
who do not drive on Shabbat and need 
a place to stay, it’s open to anyone in just 
about any circumstance.
One such example was Yerachmiel 
Abromovitz, who stayed at Bais Refoel for 
almost three months after his mother was 
discharged from the hospital. Abromovitz’s 
Oak Park house had a mold infestation at 
the time, his mother needed 24/7 care and 
Abromovitz was at a loss about where he 
and his mother could live — until a friend 

OUR COMMUNITY

Bais Refoel Foundation provides a place to stay 
for those with loved ones at Beaumont Hospital.

Hospitality 
House

ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Bais Refoel 
Hospitality House

Rabbi Aharon Amzalak 
and Mark Gorge

