A Christmas Gift

ADDENDUM:

Dr. Greenberg was able to celebrate Christmas surrounded by his students, Christmas Carols, and a letter from Santa. He passed away at 3pm today, December 26. He died peacefully in his apartment surrounded by his loved ones. One of his favorite quotes was: "The person who gives life to knowledge is not dead." 

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Brook, the woman who was the Illinois Cremation Society Funeral Director for Gregory, sent me a last minute text wondering if I was free on Christmas Eve to deliver some cheer to a client of her friend who is a hospice worker.

She knew that I appeared as Santa periodically and the client who was dying had a request, even though he was Jewish, for Christmas caroling and a visit from Santa.

The client, Philip Greenberg, is a physics teacher who apparently has no family so his students are keeping vigil and helping him through his passage. A Jewish professor, requesting Christian carols, a visit from Santa, and being helped by his Muslim students.

Unfortunately I was not available to drive the two hours there and two hours back across Chicago to where Dr. Greenberg lives so I came up with this creative way of helping to fill his wishes. I wrote the following letter and Facebooked it to one of the students who in turn printed it out and read it to Philip

• • •

Dear Dr. Greenberg (or may Santa call an old friend Philip?)

I have been very busy as you must imagine getting ready for tonights delivery of presents to all the good little boys and girls around the world!

I have been checking my list and then checking it twice and your name pops up for all the wonderful time and energy you give your Physics students and others who love you so.

Unfortunately I checked the list a little too late this season so I have not been able to get you a gift but I wanted to send this note, and my photograph and to wish you a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Chanukah, and a Joyful Christukah and Hanukahmas!

Santa always appreciates it when his old friends still remember and believe in him!

Fondly,

Santa Claus

Santa at Lieberman

This is the first time in the history of Lieberman that a cross-over entertainment has taken place to include those at Lieberman who are not Jewish.

Santa himself has little about him to do with Christmas except that the joy he brings dates back to when most of the residents at Lieberman, Jewish and non-Jewish, were children and/or celebrating the holidays with their children and grand-children.

Next, why shouldn't Lieberman honor those of other religions while retaining the Jewish heritage. And they did that today.

I do have to admit that when I arrived at 10:10, ringing my bell, in full Santa costume and began my "schtick," it was like playing to an audience at a Catskills Resort with the wrong set of jokes and bombing ... yet having to continue performing for an hour.

Being quite old and functioning at a lower level than many assisted living facilities, the energy and volume of Christmas Carole singing was fairly low. Friends Jan and Cheryl and God Son Isaac helped bring up the pace and level of participation.

After my opening comments, I spent time with each resident: holding their hand, asking questions, smiling, clowning around. People enjoyed my antics and posed for photos that were taken by Jan.

Several of the residents knew me from the Sunday Entertainments and gave kisses. At the end of the show everyone received a bag of silver coin chocolate. One resident prior to my passing them out was brazen enough to ask, "Did you bring gifts?"

Besides cheering up approximately 12 residents and 6 or 8 helpers, many of the staff wanted to take a photo with Santa to send it to their children, nieces, or nephews.

Three highlights: two positive, one negative, in all wonderful!

A fairly old and fairly ill black woman was in bed, unable to come to the party. Her helper asked me to come into the room to greet her. Frail, thin, bent over. Yet so excited that Santa had come to visit that she could barely contain herself, repeating, "Santa, Santa, Santa." I kneeled down next to her bed so we could pose for a photo and I asked her, "Have you been a good girl?" Her reply was, "Yes I have been very good so far this morning!"

One woman took my hand sincerely and said, "Bless you Father Christmas!" Wow!

The son of one resident, himself quite old, asked me if I was Jewish. I told him I was. In an aggravated tone he asked me why was I doing this then since Lieberman is a Jewish place. I told him it was for those people at Lieberman who were not Jewish. He replied that 90% of the residents are Jewish. I finished by saying, "Then I did it for those 10% who are not and who are entitled to celebrate their religion!" He looked away with disgust.

Jan's BLOG

Today I "played" Santa at The Lieberman Center. I will write about it later but here is a link to what my friend Jan wrote. She and her son (my God Son) and friend Cheryl joined the festivities and Jan photo documented it.

https://connectere.wordpress.com/2014/12/24/michael-is-santa/

The Jewish Santa

The JEWISH SANTA will be spreading holiday cheer at The Lieberman Center Christmas Caroling Event on the sixth floor on Wednesday, December 24 from 10:00-11:00 and again on the fifth floor from 11:00-11:30.