New Bedford, MA – Who in this faction-ridden city by the sea has been the most effective over the past 20 years in gaining the greatest good for the greatest number of people — without great material benefit for themselves?
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Stuart I. Forman, age 60, now engrossed full-time in Jewish studies. Probably few people in Massachusetts know more about the immense problems of health care delivery and how they are exacerbated by poverty than Dr. Forman does.
In downtown New Bedford, under his direction, a comprehensive community-based health complex has gradually evolved and is spreading substantially south from Elm Street, offering quality care to all comers, regardless of ability to pay. And relatively few, outside the thousands of New Bedford people who depend on the health center, seem to notice.
The amazing thing is that, as far as I know, in all the years of building, no one has even tried to stand in his way: not City Hall with all its potential roadblocks, not the business community, and certainly not the medical establishment, centered in Southcoast Hospitals and Hawthorn Medical Associates.
Not only did Dr. Forman get the bricks and mortar in place; he quietly helped get political victories, as well, including passage of the local referendum on fluoridated water.
What Dr. Forman would provide were servings of the ancient Hebrew sages, a heaping of quotations from the Talmud. As the ancient Judaic sage Rabbi Tarphon reminded us: “It is not up to you to complete the work; yet you are not free to desist from it.”
That’s how Dr. Forman does it. That’s his secret. He is a righteous man who applies his beliefs to his work. He invokes the words of the ancient sages for one reason: He lives by them. It’s as simple as that.
Read extended artcicle [southcoasttoday]
Dr. Forman, you make me proud to be part of the Jewish community.
Kol Hakavod, Dr. Forman! A huge Kiddush Hashem!
Nice lament by anon. 2:26PM.
So, I’ll continue on a pessimistic note, but from a different angle. Will all the good that the great physician and humanitarian is doing , stand by –him– or his confreres in a day of reckoning. Not the real day of reckoning, where everything is being measured and judged with fairness. But the day of reckoning of political turmoil and physical unrest [in the streets]. If history is any indicator, there’s reason to pessimistic.
I think the so called Hareidi world have alot to learn from this individual.
Compare the publicity this man is generating to the publicity the Chareidim are generating.Feuding rebbes, tax scams.
I cry for the ehrliche yidden of my youth who are no longer here to show how a Yid is supposed to live especially here in golus.
Instead we have the frum yidden of today with all their hypocrisy.
Orthodox Judaism of of today has to be completely restructured.
From top to bottom.
If you look at the last line of the extended article you will see the extent of the tremendous Kiddush Hashem that this man made.