Respite facility (illustrative)
Respite facility (illustrative)iStock

Yad Sarah last week opened a new interim respite facility for family members and convalescents who are discharged from Shaare Zedek Medical Center during Shabbat (the Sabbath), freeing beds for new patients, but who cannot travel home for any reason until Shabbat ends.

Under Jewish law, travel is forbidden on Shabbat for any reason other than saving a life. In addition, Jerusalem does not have public transportation on Shabbat.

The facility is located within the NGO’s headquarters on Herzl Street in Jerusalem, near Shaare Zedek.

The facility comprises dozens of luxurious guest rooms in a wing of Yad Sarah’s Frenkel Emergency Medical Center, which until now was closed on Shabbat. Yad Sarah repurposed the quarters into a place to accommodate the discharged patients and their companions who await the end of Shabbat to return home - often requiring travel, which is not permitted for those who observe the Sabbath.

The facility is equipped with private rooms with aesthetic furnishings from IKEA Israel. It aims to ensure that anyone discharged from the nearby hospital on Shabbat is not left without anywhere to go until Shabbat ends, and will have a comfortable place to rest and recuperate in the interim. The complex also features a playground for children, making it easier for parents to provide activities for their young children.

Rabbi Uri Lupolianski, founder of Yad Sarah, stated: "This luxurious facility, together with the dozens of other Yad Sarah guest rooms around the country available on both Shabbat and weekdays for the families of those hospitalized and discharged patients, is designed to provide those who observe Shabbat with a place to rest and refresh. It aims to ease the burden on families during challenging times and provide them with a comfortable place to stay after their release from the hospital.'"

The new facility joins numerous other interim respite and family waiting quarters that Yad Sarah operates in cities such as Jerusalem, Ra'anana, and Be'er Sheva, enabling family members to stay close to their hospitalized loved ones. The service is free of charge during Shabbat and holidays, thanks to generous donations.