Maccabi Health Services Launches Yom Kippur Medical and Halachic Hotline
Maccabi Health Services has launched its annual open hotline to address public questions regarding medical and halachic (Jewish law) issues related to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The service, which began operating on Wednesday, October 4, and will continue through Thursday, October 5, connects callers with both rabbis and Maccabi medical experts.
The hotline aims to provide accurate guidance on a range of topics, including the use of medications during the fast. Complex questions often require collaborative discussions between rabbinical authorities and physicians to ensure precise answers. Based on previous years, when thousands of questions were received, Maccabi anticipates a high volume of inquiries and has increased staffing accordingly.
On Wednesday, the hotline operated from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with specialists and rabbis from the Bnei Brak region answering calls from across the country. Participating rabbis included Rabbi Masoud Ben Shimon, Rabbi Amram Fried, Rabbi Mordechai Schulman, Rabbi Yehuda Tzarum, Rabbi Ephraim Neihauz, Rabbi Moshe Adir, and Rabbi Yisrael Horonchik.
On Thursday, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the hotline will focus on the Northern region, with experts and rabbis addressing questions from all of Israel. Participating rabbis from this region include Rabbi Asher Govata, Rabbi Chaim Winterov, Rabbi Meshulam Fish Rosenberg, Rabbi Eldad Sabag, and Rabbi Yaakov Pollak. Similar services were also available for the Southern region, featuring rabbis such as Rabbi Yisrael Gutterman, Rabbi Yitzchak Aharon Israeli, Rabbi Avraham Simcha Toub, Rabbi David Malka, Rabbi Yochanan Binenfeld, Rabbi Shmuel Mordechai Zylfried, Rabbi Yoel Hebron, Rabbi Yoram Cohen, Rabbi Chanokh Henoch Waxstock, Rabbi Yechiel Salomon, and Rabbi Yissachar Wind.
