When most of us think of Purim, we picture packed Megillah readings, children in costume, and the joyful exchange of mishloach manot. Yet for those in hospital beds or behind prison walls, the festival can feel very far away. Through Jewish Visiting, a cross-communal initiative organised by United Synagogue Chesed, chaplains and volunteers work to ensure that no one is forgotten.
This Purim, some of our chaplains will be going into prisons to read the Megillah, bringing the story of hope and survival to Jewish inmates who might otherwise be unable to hear it. Others will be travelling across London and the Home Counties to hospitals, delivering mishloach manot, handmade cards, and warm wishes to patients.
Hospital chaplaincy plays a vital role in supporting patients and their families during some of life’s most challenging moments. As Sharon Daniels, Head of Chesed and Volunteering, explains, a visit from a chaplain or trained volunteer can bring spiritual comfort, connection, and the reassurance that a person is not alone. Jewish Visiting has been providing this essential service across Greater London and surrounding areas since 1875.
Chaplains and volunteers offer more than just company. They provide emotional and pastoral support, help meet religious and cultural needs, and liaise with hospital staff to ensure Jewish requirements are understood. They are also there for relatives and even staff members who may need someone to talk to. Visits take place regularly where there are many Jewish patients, and on an on-call basis elsewhere. Jewish tradition teaches that visiting the sick removes a sixtieth of their illness, and where appropriate, prayers for refuah sheleima are shared at the bedside.
For volunteers like Sharna Kinsley, Purim is an especially meaningful time, to bring some joy and hope. Sharna visits the Royal Marsden Hospital, dressed in costume, carrying mishloach manot and handmade cards prepared by children from Bloomsbury Chabad Cheder. Sharna will be visiting wards where many patients are seriously ill. She explains “ The sight of someone in cheerful fancy dress naturally evokes smiles and brings joy.”
This year she will be bringing any surplus gifts to a Norwood residential home in Kenton, where Sharna is a member of Kenton Synagogue, so that nothing goes to waste and that kindness is shared as widely as possible.
Sharon Daniels Head of Chesed says “We are proud to be part of the wider multi-faith chaplaincy teams within hospitals, working together to meet patients’ spiritual, religious, and cultural needs as part of their overall care. On Purim, a festival that celebrates hidden miracles and the power of collective responsibility, our chaplains and volunteers embody its message. Whether reading the Megillah in a prison or delivering mishloach manot to a hospital bedside, they bring light, dignity, and simcha to places that need it most.”
If you know anyone who might benefit from a visit from a hospital chaplain please contact our Chesed team – [email protected]