Services

Bikur Cholim programs ensure that members of the community can have a true Yom Tov experience. From beautiful seder plates for Pesach to custom made hospital-safe menorahs for Chanuka, Bikur Cholim’s Yom Tov programs keep these special days source of joy for everyone in need.

Bikur Cholim maintains cabinets in several area hospitals containing supplies, non-perishable food items, and provisions to help patients and family members who are in the hospital over Shabbos.

For directions and maps of Bikur Cholim cabinets at local hospitals, View Directions & Maps.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a family medical crisis,  call our office so that a member of our clinical staff can schedule an intake.

Support for Homebound
Bikur Cholim is dedicated to fighting isolation. Our focus is helping individuals meet the specific challenges their situation presents.

Senior Clubs
Bikur Cholim facilitates three weekly senior gatherings, the Sunshine Club, the Friendship Club, and the Golden Girls. Each of these clubs feature programming specifically geared to seniors and a nutritious meal.

Services for Holocaust Survivors
Bikur Cholim is a recipient of a small grant distributed by the Government of Germany through the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. Through this allocation, Bikur Cholim can provide services for the benefit of Holocaust survivors and other individuals who were affected by Nazi persecution.

In an era of rapidly advancing medical treatments, a number of policies, regulations, and treatment protocols involving the care of seriously ill patients have developed in medical centers across Canada that, in many cases, do not align with Jewish law and values.

Unfortunately, some Jewish patients cannot communicate their wishes or values to their treatment provider when they are in this grave state. Without any way of knowing the true wishes of the patient, the hospital and health care providers may make decisions that contradict the dictates of Halacha and violate the patient’s deepest-held values.

One tool in preventing this terrible eventuality is to fill out a “Halachic Power of Attorney.” This document, drafted specifically for Jewish patients, empowers individuals to make their wishes known in advance, and ensures that their values will be respected regardless of their ability to communicate them at the time of treatment.

For this reason, Rabbonim in every community have urged each individual, regardless of age or physical condition, to take a few moments and fill out such a document, which should be kept with your vital documents in case of an emergency.

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PLEASE NOTE: While the information and documentation on this website is thought to be accurate on the date it is posted, it is provided on an “as is” basis and without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. Bikur Cholim of Toronto, its agents, employees or contractors will not be liable to you for any loss or damages of any nature arising out of your use of information and documentation provided on this website. Changes may be made to this service and any information or documentation contained herein without prior notice. In particular, The Halachic Power of Attorney on this website is provided as a public service for information purposes only, it is not legal advice and should not be relied upon in such a manner. You should consult a lawyer or Rabbinical adviser to address the specific circumstances of your matter.

Yenta’s Kitchen is devoted to the idea that patients should enjoy a taste of home-cooking when in hospital. We work hard to ensure that each and every kosher patient has a fulfilling and nourishing meal.

Yenta’s Kitchen is certified kosher by the C.O.R .

Dial-A-Ride provides a means of transportation to many in our community who would otherwise be unable to attend their medical appointments. We also accommodate individuals who require wheelchair-accessible transportation in our specially outfitted Bikur Cholim van.

The Bikur Cholim wheelchair accessible bus was generously donated by Shlomo and Shevi Jacobowitz, Moti and Shaindy Seidenfeld, Moshe and Aviva Sigler, Binyamin and Nikki Sigler in loving memory of their grandmother, Mrs. Lily Gartner A”H, Leah bas Avraham. This bus will foster inclusion for all members of the community, and offer comfort and ease of travel for those with disabilities.

Lighting the Shabbos candles is one of the most cherished traditions in Judaism. Because of hospital safety regulations prohibiting open flames in hospitals, it is hard to carry out this tradition while in a hospital over Shabbos.

Bikur Cholim is committed to ensuring that hospital patients have the opportunity to observe this beloved mitzvah. We have specially designed battery-operated Shabbos candles that can be used in any hospital or facility, and can be used in place of flame candles. The candlesticks are halachichally and hospital approved, and one can make a bracha on them. This year the candlesticks have been generously sponsored by the Silver Family in loving memory of Nancy Ruth Silver z”l, Nechama Raizel bat Avraham Abba z”l.

Whether you are a family member hoping to be near your loved one in the hospital over Shabbos, or a patient who needs to be in close proximity to the hospital over Shabbos for treatment, the Bikur Cholim Shabbos accommodation apartments can help.

1. The Maidy & Lipman Heller Apartment
The Bikur Cholim Maidy & Lipman Heller apartment is located in downtown Toronto, right near the major area hospitals. The Anshei Minsk shul is located nearby at 10 Saint Andrew Street, just off Spadina Ave; roughly a 20 minute walk.

2. Mandelbaum Bikur Cholim Apartment
The Mandelbaum Bikur Cholim Apartment at North York General Hospital has been donated and tastefully furnished לז”נ Kaila Mandelbaum by her husband Mr. Hatzik Mandelbaum, and her children, Rabbi and Mrs. Avraham and Celia Bartfeld, Abie and Sara Rotenberg, Aaron and Michelle Mandelbaum.

3. Sunnybrook Respite Home
The beautifully decorated new townhouse, located directly across the street of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centres, on Bayview Ave. between Lawrence Ave. and Eglinton Ave., was generously donated by the Eisenberger, Gunsburg, Jakubovic and Kohn families in loving memory of R’ Shlomo Yehuda ben R’ Moshe HaCohen A”H, Blima Rivka Aidel bas R’ Daniel A”H, and R’ Menachem Tzvi ben R’ Chaim Yehoshua A”H.

4. The Bikur Cholim House
The Bikur Cholim House is located south of the intersection of Bathurst Street and Lawrence Avenue in North York. It houses three fully contained apartments for the use of out-of-town patients in need of accommodations during their medical care.

5. The Shaya and Rita Braun Z”L Accessible Apartment
Located on the first floor of the Bikur Cholim House, the Shaya and Rita Braun Accessible Apartment was dedicated in loving memory of Yeshaya ben Simcha HaLevi A”H and Rivka bat Shalom A”H.

Estimated walking times from apartments to hospitals:

Bikur Cholim maintains a gemach for free lending of medical equipment. Our inventory includes wheelchairs, walkers, canes, crutches, bathroom equipment, and more.

Visiting hospital patients lies at the heart of Bikur Cholim´s work. We are committed to doing all we can to prevent and alleviate the isolation and loneliness that can set in during any hospital stay. Bikur Cholim maintains standing groups of trained volunteers who regularly visit patients at area hospitals.
From admission to discharge and beyond, Bikur Cholim is there to make sure that no member of our community is ever alone. Fill Form for volunteer opportunities.