A Kinder, Gentler Religion?

My 100 year old observant grandmother did not go to shul on the first day of Rosh HaShanah this year. She did go on the second day. The reason for her absence the first day was not due to illness, but because her rabbi did not want her to attend if she had to arrive in a wheelchair.

For all the years I have known my grandmother, she has somehow managed to attend High Holy Day services at her New York City shul, except for last year when she was hospitalized for a broken leg. But even then, she still attended services held in the rehabilitation center.

Her apartment is directly across from the shul, but this year, due to renovations, services are being held a few blocks away in a different location. It seemed practical that my grandmother’s non-Jewish assistant would be able to push her in a wheelchair to the temporary location.
When approached, the rabbi felt it important to counsel my grandmother that doing the right thing by Jewish law does not include someone pushing her to shul on the Shabbat of Rosh HaShanah. He also told her that she should not attend Yom Kippur services.

My grandmother is a very tough lady. While she never listens to anyone else, Grandma takes her Rabbi’s opinion as law and would never go against his word.

But his word infuriated me and I felt that I needed an explanation.

So I called the rabbi.

According to Grandma’s rabbi, she never actually asked him what to do, “She understands Jewish law and knew what I would say. She said she wants to do the right thing. So she is doing what she knows I would say,” he said.

On the contrary to what the rabbi said, my family believes that he did have some say in Grandma’s decision to stay home on the prescribed days.

When I questioned the fact of why Grandma’s non-Jewish assistant could not push her, he said, “Halachically, she is involved in the action of being pushed. That is the law.” He also went on to say that “a goy cannot do what a Jew cannot do.”

I suppose there are many people who might say that the rabbi is simply following the rule of Jewish law and setting the right example for his congregation and maintaining his own religious integrity.

But it still doesn’t sit right with me. For all I know, this could be Grandma’s last Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. What purpose does it serve for her not to go to pray with the congregation that she has prayed with for more than 40 years?

So I sought out the counsel of my own rabbi. While conservative, grew up in an observant household and fully understands the ideology of Orthodox Judaism. He reviewed the concept of “Halacha with Compassion” and said that the laws of what can and cannot be done on Shabbat or Yom Kippur should not have been applied to my Grandmother’s non-Jewish assistant.

In my own life I have been involved with most of the “branches” of Judaism. Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and a bit of Reconstructionist. I am not saying that any one of them is perfect or more just then the other. My own personal belief is that they all have their own weaknesses and problems. And yes, I have met some wonderful, tolerant Orthodox rabbis over the years.

In his sermon this weekend, my rabbi spoke about how nice it is for Jews to come together as a community at this time of year. That in coming together, we form a united entity which reinforces the essence of the holiday season. What a lovely thought. How sad though that this does not appear to be the case for all Jews. Our religious affiliations or “titles” seem to be driving us further and further apart.

My grandmother looks up to and respects her rabbi. He is her spiritual leader. As a devout woman, she trusts his word and will not question his authority. I cannot ask her how she feels about what she has been told to do or not do because I know she will never speak ill of her rabbi. I on the other hand, cannot sit idly by.

I do not claim to be the most learned Jew in the world. Or even the most committed. But I do try to be a caring and contributing member of the Jewish community. So I feel it is within my right as a Jew to question the actions of a fellow Jew who might be hurting someone I love.

I challenge anyone to give me a reasonable excuse as to why and how this rabbi is correct in how he counseled my grandmother. As Jews, we may not always agree with each other, we might even yell, but at least the lines of communication are still open.

Shana Tova. We should all pray for Ahm Yisrael to have a more tolerant and unified 5767.

HPV Vaccine Price Gauging?

On June 8, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer and other diseases in females caused by certain types of genital human papillomavirus (HPV). The quadrivalent vaccine, Gardasil®, protects against four HPV types (6,11,16, 18), which are responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. On June 29, 2006, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP* ) voted to recommend use of this vaccine in females, ages 9-26 years.

The vaccine, Gardasil, is the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous genital lesions, and genital warts due to HPV.

The HPV vaccine is recommended for 11-12 year-old girls, but can be administered to girls as young as 9 years of age. The vaccine also is recommended for 13-26 year-old females who have not yet received or completed the vaccine series (For more information, visit www.cdc.gov)

Being the good doctor's daughter, I rushed to get an appointment for my own 14 year old daughter to get the first in the series of three vaccines.

While I was at my my own annual exam, I questioned my gynecologist about where to take my daughter and he suggested that I should bring her to his office as it would be "easier" then taking her to the pediatrician's office. He told me that the shot was pricey, about $250 per shot (about $750 in total). I had heard it might be very expensive, but as I knew it was necessary, and I am already used to the often high cost of any medical add-ons in the U.S., I didn't question this information.

Took my daughter for the shot, paid the $250 and left. All well and good.

Until...

I told my folks about the cost and my Dad went ballistic. He sent around some e-mails and got a response from the American Academy of Pediatrics: "The current average wholesale price (AWP) reported in Thomson Red Book for Gardasil (.5 ml pre-filled,syringe, single dose) is $144.00."

According to the CDC website, "The private sector list price of the vaccine is $119.75 per dose (about $360 for full series)."

My mother even did her research, called her own upscale upper West Side OB/GYN office who said they charge around $170.

Dad said the cost was outrageous and that I should ask for an immediate refund to reach a more acceptable amount.

Before doing that I did some more of my own research and called the pediatricians office. They said that they do give the vaccine, but I would need to pick up a prescription and then go to a local discount pharmacy to get the vaccine.

I called the discount pharmacy, they sell each dose for $140. Then, with co-pay, administering the dose would cost $155 at the pediatrician's office.

It was becoming clear that even with an added administration charge and a charge to cover overhead, I should not have had to pay anywhere near to $250 for one shot.

Armed with this information I called my gynecologist. It seemed that I must not have been the only irate mother/patient because the doctor apologized, saying that it seems he had "obviously been overcharged by distributor." He promised the price for the second shot would be closer to cost next time. I decided to give him benefit of doubt, let it drop and then raise the question of a partial refund when I took my daughter back for her next dose in about a month.

Then, while reading the papers today, I saw a simple ad for another OB/GYN office which mentioned that they offer the HPV vaccine. I decided to call and see what they charged...$200 for each shot!

I ran an internet search for HPV and cost discrepancies and couldn't come up with anything about price gauging. Perhaps it is too soon for this to come to light (The shot only received it's overall recommendation in June). But wouldn't it outrageous if doctors and distributors were taking advantage of this potential life saving vaccine which just happens to not yet be covered by insurance?