"As soon as Uncle Moishy walked into the room, the little girl smiled, and, as the songs she loved were being sung, she actually sang along"
One of our early “bookings” was from a family who requested a visit from Dedi to their young daughter who was in a Manhattan hospital. It was Chol Hamoed and a last-minute thing, and we didn’t have time to arrange for a keyboard player. As Dedi and I pulled up to the hospital, I noticed a P.C. Richard’s across the street. We went in and bought a keyboard for Dedi to play. As we exited the elevator, we were met by a nurse, who was staring straight at the keyboard we were carrying. We were sure she would kick us out, but, boy, were we surprised when she looked at us and said, “Dedi! I’m so happy you’re here! I have a patient who would love to have you!” Dedi visited that patient, plus the girl we originally came for, who would be going through a very serious surgery the next day. After Dedi sang for her, he promised he would sing when she got married. Over ten years later, Dedi sang at her sheva brachos.
I remember a child who had come out of surgery and refused to smile or speak. Her parents tried everything. Then they called Simchas Chava. As soon as Uncle Moishy walked into the room, the little girl smiled, and, as the songs she loved were being sung, she actually sang along. The joy in the room was immense.
The mood in Israel was heavy after the Sbarro bombing in Jerusalem in 2001, and we got a request from the family of someone who was severely injured. Avraham Fried happened to have been in Israel at the time, but since he’s a Kohein, entering a hospital at certain times is problematic. So Avremel waited outside the hospital with Suki until they got the all-clear sign (Israeli hospitals do that), and went in to sing and play for the injured patients.
It always amazing me how Jewish singers and musicians manage to find the time in their busy schedules to squeeze in all these visits. I remember that after doing a concert with MBD in Detroit, I was looking for him backstage, but no one could find him. It turned out someone had approached him about a patient in a Detroit hospital, and right after the concert, he dashed out of the hall, went to the hospital, and stayed with the patient for two hours.
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