Marking 30 years since Gimmel Tammuz, Rabbi Naftali and Sara Lazaroff will be joining Rabbi Lazer and Rochel Lazaroff as shluchim to the largest medical center in the world in Houston, TX.
The Texas Medical Center in Houston is the largest medical center in the world with more than 60 institutions. In the 2.1 square miles alone, they estimate a baby born every 20 minutes – and a new surgery started every three.
Every year, thousands of people travel from around the world to receive life-saving care at the Center. And for more than 30 years, Rabbi Lazer and Rochel Lazaroff have been on the frontlines to greet these families and care for them both physically and spiritually.
Aishel House, the Chabad bikur cholim center, hosts 23 beautiful apartments where families can stay for days or months – and every day, they prepare dozens of fresh, kosher meals, many of which are delivered right to the hospitals. That’s in addition to all the spiritual reinforcement patients look for during what is often the hardest chapter in their lives – like holiday programs, Torah classes, and Jewish chaplaincy services.
“Our job is to make sure that all Jewish patients at Texas Medical Center know that they have everything they need,” explains Rochel. Whether a warm cup of soup, class in Chassidus, or an uplifting conversation – the shluchim at Aishel House are here to provide it.
“As Aishel House crosses the threshold of more than three decades servicing the Texas Medical Center, the center is bustling with activity, and we have a strong need for additional staff, as we are growing the great activities that are happening,” explains Rabbi Lazer Lazaroff.
Aishel House has appointed new shluchim. Rabbi Naftali and Sara (Thaler) Lazaroff will be joining the team. Rabbi Naftali is currently completing a chaplaincy residency in Maimonides Brooklyn. He will respond to the many chaplaincy requests at the hospitals and look after residents of Aishel House. Sara will assume the role of volunteer coordinator, connecting local volunteers to patients and coordinating the volunteers who deliver food to the hospital, take patients to appointments, and run specialty programs.
“I grew up in Houston so this shlichus is very close to me, and particularly because I’ve had medical challenges of my own, I can relate to and understand the families who come here,” says Rabbi Naftali. “Now that I have semicha and chaplaincy training, I’m excited to help grow the chaplaincy department at Aishel House.” Sara is coming to the position with years of experience in volunteering and nonprofits. Previously, she was a volunteer coordinator at Friendship Circle Brooklyn and most recently served as a coordinator for Mikvah.org, a nonprofit with a global reach. “Her position will bring more dimension and excitement to the already vibrant volunteer program at Aishel House, helping us better connect patients with volunteers,” says Rabbi Lazer.
“Over the decades, our volunteer program has evolved into a wide and diverse crowd,” explains Rochel. “It’s a community of people who want to make a difference, each coming with unique and different abilities. They are the lifeforce behind everything that happens here.” For example, “When we deliver kosher meals to the many patients and their families in the hospital, it’s the volunteers who make sure patients receive each one with a smile.”
“G-d willing, I am looking forward to expanding the volunteer opportunities at Aishel House and being able to provide programs for both the volunteers and the patients,” Sara says. “I hope that with the help of Hashem and the Rebbe’s brachos, we can enhance the volunteer experience and share the beauty of the mitzvos they are doing.”
Bringing extensive experience in volunteering and chaplaincy, Rabbi Lazer says, “Sara and Naftali coming on the team means we’ll be able to expand our services to patients throughout the Medical Center and beyond.”
”This step forward now, 30 years after Gimmel Tammuz,” Rochel shared. “Decades later, the Rebbe is yet more active and shepherding many good deeds. This young couple, both born after Gimmel Tammuz are being guided and propelled by the same light and mission that Shluchim have been long following.
“We look forward to having Sara and Naftali on board as we raise the bar higher, to help more people, and have an even greater impact on people’s lives. Their involvement will help bring more acts of goodness and kindness to the world, spread more of the light of Torah and Chassidus, and bring the Medical Center, Houston, and the world at large closer to Moshiach.”
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