Rabbi Jay Goldburg, a retired Marine, has spent his life giving to others. As a spiritual care rabbi at Barnes-Jewish Hospital (and the former Jewish Hospital of St. Louis), he spent nearly 30 years at patient bedsides, bringing his warm, calming presence to every patient and family in need.
“Patients opened their hearts to me,” he says. “I was a privileged listener who was hopefully able to offer loving kindness, hope, and comfort.”
His compassion for others was strengthened because of his wife, Erika. She was a Holocaust survivor who went on to live an extraordinary life with Rabbi Goldburg by her side. The Goldburgs had two children and traveled the world until Erika passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2010.
In 2019, Rabbi Goldburg was diagnosed with bladder cancer. A friend connected him to Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine where he met Zachary Smith, MD, a Washington University urologic surgeon. “With his kindness, compassion, sensitive explanation of the treatment plan, and patience in carefully answering my many questions, Dr. Smith instilled within me the gift of hope.”
The rabbi also was diagnosed with kidney cancer that has successfully been treated.
“Every doctor and nurse was wonderful to me,” Rabbi Goldburg says. “I know Dr. Smith and his colleagues do research, so I wanted to make a gift to help in some way.”
Through a gift in his trust, he established the Erika Schick Goldburg Fund to support research and treatment of bladder and kidney cancer at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
“I’m so very grateful and feel wonderful about my decision,” he says. “These doctors saved my life twice.”
You can help our patients feel heard and cared for by supporting the Foundation through your estate plan. Contact Joan Cheaney, CFRE, at 314-286-0704 or PlannedGiving@BJC.org to learn more today.