DUNWOODY, Ga. — While many Americans gather with their families on Christmas Day, some are not fortunate enough to have the holiday off from work.
While most community members haven’t the training to be a medical doctor or police officer, some are able to fill in for non-medical healthcare workers.
In the spirit of the season, members of B’nai B’rith International and the Jewish community replaced Christian workers in hospitals, assisted-living facilities and nursing homes, allowing them to spend the day with their families.
On Christmas Day 2023, more than 200 members of the Metro Atlanta Jewish community volunteered at Historic Roswell Place; William Breman Jewish Home in Atlanta; Celebration Village Forsyth; Berman Commons in Dunwoody; Dunwoody Place in Atlanta; Somerby of Sandy Springs; and the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Decatur.
The Achim and Gate City Lodge, the local chapter of B’nai B’rith International, organizes the annual event.
German Jews immigrating to New York City founded B’nai B’rith in 1843. Achim and Gate City, established in 1870, is one of the oldest B’nai B’rith lodges in the country.
Gary Jackson, a member of the Achim and Gate City Lodge of B’nai B’rith, co-founded the Pinch Hitter program in 1980.
“Anything we can do to help out in the community,” Jackson said. “Nobody should have to work on Christmas Day, I mean my goodness.”
He said the program began with 32 volunteers at Children’s Scottish Rite Hospital.
Since Christmas Day fell on Shabbat in 1981, the program went on a hiatus. Jackson said the program started to volunteer time on Fridays for years when the two holidays conflict.
Jackson served as chairman of the program for over a decade and led the effort to expand the its reach.
President George H.W. Bush awarded the Pinch Hitter program with the 335th…
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