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Ryzman MRI Institute Opens at Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center

History was made in Bnei Brak with the inauguration of the new Ryzman MRI Institute at Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center this week. The festive opening event was attended by rabbanim, gedolei yisrael, Health Minister Rabbi Yaakov Litzman, and the directors of health funds and the health establishment in Israel.

The event began with a moving ceremony at the magnificent, state-of-the-art institute, attended by the donors, Zvi and Betty Ryzman of Los Angeles, and their family. The ceremony began with the kevias hamezuzah for the rooms of the institute by the donor, Reb Zvi, and his relatives; the health minister, heads of medical organizations in Israel – Rabbi Elimelech Firer, chairman of Ezra Lemarpeh and Rabbi Chananya Chollak, Chairman of Ezer Mizion – and the Rav of the medical center, Harav Baruch Yosef Hoffner, shlita.

An unveiling was held by the Ryzmans and Health Minister Rabbi Litzman, with the attendance of the medical center’s department heads.

It was followed by a reception for the donor and his family, which was attended by guests from Israel and abroad. Some notable guests were Rosh Yeshivas Ponevez Harav Baruch Dov Povarsky, shlita; the Modzhitzer Rebbe, shlita; Rosh Yeshivas Chevron Harav Yosef Chevroni, shlita; Health Minister Litzman; the founder and director of Mayanei Hayeshua, Dr. Moshe Rothschild, health fund directors and personalities in the health industry.

The event was chaired by the CEO of the medical center, Shlomo Rothschild, who introduced the guests who were inaugurating an MRI institute in Bnei Brak, a city of almost 200,000 people that lacked such a vital service, Health Minister Litzman, and the donor, Reb Zvi Ryzman and his family.

The CEO delivered a message on behalf of Harav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, a member of the Halachah Committee of the Medial Center. He noted that a philanthropist asked a question just last week regarding the order of priorities in the mitzvah of tzedakah. Rav Chaim pointed to proof from the Shulchan Aruch that it is a priority to give to Mayanei Hayeshua, which combines both medical care and healing to sick people and supports Torah, because there are Torah scholars learning there every day. Mr. Rothschild added that in recent years, Mayanei Hayeshua has nearly tripled the scope of its activities in a range of medical fields, some of which have developed to meet the needs of the community.

He also noted the fact that “Mayanei Hayeshua is the only community hospital in Israel that develops health services based on the needs of the public. As an example you can see the Mental Health Center, which includes hospital wards, clinics and outpatient care, which was established to meet a public need and will save many families who are crying out for help.”

Divrei brachah were delivered by Rosh Yeshivas Ponevez Harav Baruch Dov Povarsky, shlita, who praised the donor, Reb Zvi Ryzman, for the zechus of having a combination of Torah and gedulah. He noted that Reb Tzvi is outstanding in his support of Torah learners and in providing medical assistance to masses of people, such as this donation to Mayanei Hayeshua, in an effort to save people’s lives.

A dvar torah was delivered by the Modzhitzer Rebbe, shlita, who emphasized the vital nature of the donation and praised the donor, who is renowned for being a leader in chessed in our generation, and in supporting Torah, while he is a talmid chacham in his own right.

Health Minister Rabbi Litzman thanked the donor and the management of Mayanei Hayeshua for succeeding in establishing an MRI institute that was approved and partially funded by the Health Ministry. He shared with the audience that after the donor pledged his donation for this purpose, it took just two days to issue a permit. The minister noted that when he entered his job at the Health Ministry, there were 24 MRI machines in Israel. Today, thanks to his policies and Health Ministry funding, there are 46 such machines. Soon, a process will be completed whereby all hospitals in the country will have the lifesaving machinery.

Rabbi Litzman also noted that the Mayanei Hayeshua community hospital has met many challenges that other hospitals have not met, and noted the construction of the Mental Health Center that recently opened. He noted that the men’s hospitalization ward is already active, alongside clinics and outpatient care, and urged the hospital to quickly open similar women’s and children’s wards.

The president and founder of Mayanei Hayeshua, Dr. Moshe Rothschild, also expressed gratitude to the donor, and noted that he is a pioneer and always ready and willing to make generous donation for causes that benefit the public. This donation will save lives each and every day.

He noted that there are many gedolei yisrael, and cited as an example the founder of Ponevez Yeshivah, Harav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, zt”l, who did not write many sefarim despite being erudite scholars. He said that he had heard from the Ponevezer Rav that his sefarim were saving lives and building buildings for institutions that he established to benefit tens of thousands of students, and their students.

“Rabbi Ryzman, who has authored several important sefarim, such as Ratz Katzvi and others, which are used by leading poskim for matters of practical halachah in medicine, has merited that his primary compositions are those actions that he has taken to infuse a whole nation with life,” Dr. Rothschild said.

The director of the cardiac department and one of the leading cardiologists in Israel, Dr. Oren Agranat, spoke on behalf of the medical center’s doctors, and stressed the necessity of the MRI machine in medicine. “Just like a hospital without a catheterization unit and a cardiac intensive care unit cannot provide full care for the public, the same is true of a hospital without an MRI machine, and for that, Reb Zvi Ryzman deserves our deepest thanks.”

Moving words were then delivered by the donor, Reb Zvi Ryzman, who related how important the donation of an MRI machine to Bnei Brak is to him. Bnei Brak “is the big city for Hashem and His nation,” and it is inconceivable that a city with hundreds of thousands of people should not have an MRI machine to provide lifesaving medical care. He related that he experienced firsthand the effort it took to make an MRI appointment for a relative. After a two month wait, the appointment was granted for four o’clock in the morning.

He shared with the participants his feelings in the days when Dr. Rothschild traveled the world in order to raise funds to establish the medical center. He saw him as a “dreamer with hallucinations.” Then the hospital came into being and Dr. Rothschild began to speak about a “new dream,” the psychiatric hospital. “Then, too, I looked at him as a dreamer who was trying his luck again. But this, too, has become a reality.” In conclusion, he thanked the representatives of Mayanei Hayeshua, who visited his home in Los Angeles in order to receive the donation, Rabbi Gershon Lieder, the chairman of the board of trustees, and Mr. Chaim Fachler, director of the resource development department.

Hospital CEO Shlomo Rothschild related that he visited Rosh Yeshivah Harav Aharon Leib Steinman, shlita, on Motzoei Shabbos, and in response to a question as to how the Rosh Yeshivah was feeling, the Rosh Yeshivah replied: “I thank Hashem for giving me life so that I can serve Him.” With that, the CEO invited CPA Moshe Leon to present Rabbi Ryzman with a beautiful picture in which Rav Steinman, shlita, is seen affixing the first mezuzah in the MRI institute several months ago.

The chairman of the Association of Friends of Mayanei Hayeshua and chairman of the Psagot investment house, Dr. Ehud Shapiro, presented the donor with a piece of artwork depicting Mayanei Hayeshua combined with a rare handwritten letter by Harav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita.

Also in attendance at the event were Rabbi Shimon Ragobi of Ezer Mizion; Rabbi Yitzchak Stern of Refuah Vechaim; CEO of Meuhedet Mr. Zev Wurembrand; deputy CEO Dr. David Morel; director of the district Mr. Elisha Hussman and his deputy Rabbi Moshe Cohen; Maccabi representatives Mrs. Devorah Chassid, director of the Central District, and Mr. Eli Ovadia, director of the Bnei Brak region; director of Association of Friends Mr. Tzvi Wilder; Mr. Bentzy Sau, member of the Association of Friends, and many more prominent people.