Shabbos

Kosher Meals

Yenta’s Kitchen provides special meals with extra touches fit for Shabbos.

Call the Bikur Cholim office to order your meals as soon as you know you will need a meal for yourself or family members.

Candlesticks

Bikur Cholim provides special battery operated candlesticks that are both Rabbinically - and hospital -approved.

Call the Bikur Cholim office to request them in time for candlelighting.

Shabbos Cabinets

If you find yourself in the hospital for Shabbos , there are special cabinets at Sunnybrook, Mt. Sinai, NYGH, Sick Kids and York Central. These cabinets hold basic supplies of non–perishable foods and religious items. The combination, at all locations, is 324.

The cabinets are located as follows:

Sunnybrook – in the chapel in the H Wing on the left side of the room, labeled “Kosher Cabinet”

York Central –in the ICU in the Family Lounge or in the Emergency Dept.Yellow zone behind the nurses’ station.

Mount Sinai - in the chapel

Sick Kids - in the emergency dept.Behind the east nursing station desk.

North York General – During office hours you may ask spiritual staff to open the room, after hours please ask security to open the room where the cabinet is located.

Sleeping Accommodations

There is an apartment available for Shabbos within walking distance of the downtown hospitals for families of patients. Please call Chavi (416-633-6620) or Lily (416-783-2261) or Mitzi (416-787-9320) for arrangements.

Shabbos and Yom Tov Hospital Access

Entering hospitals on Shabbos can be a challenge as many doors are electronically-operated. The following is useful entry information for many of the hospitals in the city. For more information, call the Bikur Cholim office.

Mount Sinai Hospital

Front and back revolving doors are not electric. After you enter, there are electric sliding doors that are generally turned off on Shabbos. The emergency entrance is electric. Security will accommodate you by opening the front door on Shabbos if needed. Shabbos elevators are marked. Doors at floor 12 and 17 are electric and are opened by pressing a button. Either knock or wait for someone to open. Other internal doors are okay. Tunnels to other building are not designed for Shabbos use.

North York General

When you are facing the building, to your right are a series of doors. They are all suitable but you have to try them to find the one that is unlocked.

Toronto Western and Toronto General

Emergency doors and front doors are not electric. There are stairs available.

The Hospital for Sick Children

Front doors are locked on weekends. Go to the Elizabeth St. entrance at the back and enter through the back middle doors. The side doors are electronic and you cannot follow someone in.

Sunnybrook

Non-electronic doors are located at the D & E- wing entrance. Visitors can walk into the main entrance of Hospital grounds from Bayview Avenue & Blythwood Road, and walk along the driveway past M-wing all the way to a set of stairs. The D & E wing entrance is on the right at the bottom of the stairs. There are no electric doors between wings or at the stairways. Also, Sunnybrook is within the Eiruv.

On any of the services , please contact Bikur Cholim at 416 783-7983