Passaic, NJ – What do you do if you’re a multilingual, Orthodox Jew with advanced degrees in nutrition and dietetics in a city with a growing Muslim population?
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If you’re Ellen Shapiro, you work for a Catholic hospital, taking care of the dietary needs and restrictions of the diverse patient population of St. Mary’s Hospital, the only hospital in Passaic.
How long on the job: 22-plus years.
How she got the job: “I was working in New York when we moved to Passaic because it was a Jewish area, and not as expensive as Teaneck and Fair Lawn. I was at home with my premature daughter and getting a little antsy when I met another woman who was a dietitian. She saw an ad for this job, and we applied together to share it. They hired me, but not her.”
Previous experience: Was assistant director of the Women, Infants and Children program at a hospital on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and worked her way up the ladder. “My whole family was in the food business. I became a dietitian because my mother didn’t want me to work on my feet all day.”
What’s it like being an Orthodox Jew in a Catholic hospital? “I would rather be here. I love the diversity. We were taught to be tolerant of everybody. I don’t think I would be happy in a place with one kind of people. One of the nuns here said I’m an honorary nun. They appreciate what I come to my table with.”
How she does it: “Patients know I’m Jewish. [In keeping with Orthodox tradition], I wear a wig, and people notice it, and I dress modestly. When I walk into an Arabic patient’s room and they see that I’m Jewish, they get nervous, but I try to put people at ease. I’m not here to put my beliefs on you. I spoke three languages, and studied Spanish in high school. I use it here on the job all the time.
“St. Mary’s is a community hospital. With the closing of Beth Israel and Passaic General, we are now the only show in town. Now we’re getting a lot more people coming in from the Jewish community.”
How it is done: “We have frozen kosher meals, double-wrapped, packaged bread and butter that is kosher. Some people have very restricted diets, and we have stores in the neighborhood that my boss will let me go to for that. Whatever they need, we will get it. We have a CD from the Orthodox Union to help train the food handlers and other dietitians.”
On arranging special meals for other religions: “As soon as they see me, they know I understand their diet. There are certain things we will not give them. Muslims don’t eat pork, Hindus won’t eat beef. We have a nice vegetarian menu. We’re looking into getting halal food. We’re very ethnic tolerant.”
The best part of the job: “When the patients are satisfied, when they write notes thanking me. That is worth so much.”
The worst part: “When a patient has to go on hospice or I have to suggest a tube feeding.”
Salary: “Terrible, about the same as a starting nurse. I don’t do it for the money.”
very nice. ellen, you make us proud.
cheers for LES!! and of course, GOUVERNEUR
kol hakavod! a kiddush Hashem
Thank you Assemblyman Gary Schaer who was on the board of Directors of St. Mary’s and using his power as an assemblyman forced the takeover of Beth Israel by St. Marys.
How ironic that a Jew is the reason that the former Jewish hospital is now a Catholic one with crosses and statues in every room.
And if the service would have been better, I could understand, but the hospital has turned much, much worse since the takeover.
Typicall passaic
Small hospitals scare me. Take me to Hackensack, please.