Brooklyn's Maimonides Hospital Merges While Protecting Hasidic Traditions

Many Hasidic patients rely on Maimonides Medical Center, an independent nonprofit in Borough Park, as their local hospital. Even in a city where hospitals typically offer kosher food and are sensitive to Jewish patients' needs, Maimonides stands out, with Shabbat elevators that stop on every floor, Yiddish-speaking staff and an on-site synagogue in the main lobby that hosts daily afternoon prayer. New York City Health and Hospitals CEO Dr. Mitchell Katz has promised to retain those religious accommodations at Maimonides under the merger, noting in court documents that the merger agreement between Maimonides and the city requires preservation of existing religious and cultural practices at the hospital for at least 30 years.