Baycrest creative arts specialist Brenda Lass was invited to a Zoom bris this spring. Knowing that Apotex Centre resident Bea Fink was related to the family, she sprang into action.
 
Together with therapeutic recreationist Cindy Kaizer, she arranged to have Bea join the video call and mark the occasion along with more than 100 other family members and friends.
 
It was “unbelievable” and “exciting,” to participate, Bea said afterwards.
 
Baby Dax was born to Bea’s great niece Jana Danziger in late April. It was still the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic and eVisits were just getting established at Baycrest.
 
Danziger and her husband had to adapt quickly to circumstances. Instead of a regular bris with family and friends in attendance, they shifted to an at-home ceremony using Zoom.
 
“It ended up being much bigger numbers than we anticipated and we got to do it in the privacy of our home,” Danziger said. Because of the Zoom connection, relatives from Israel, including about 100 cousins, also got to attend.

“It ended up being kind of amazing. Those people never would have been able to come, and actually Bea wouldn’t have been able to come if it was at the shul. It was really magical that she got to participate.”
 
Bea is the younger sister of Danziger’s zaidy who passed away, and Bea is close to all of his nine grandchildren, Danziger said.
 
eVisits at Baycrest are supported by donors, whose contributions to the Safeguarding our Seniors (SOS) campaign have helped with the purchase of technology and upgrades to WiFi and data plans that make the calls possible.
 
“It was so moving for Cindy and me,” Lass said. “This is just one of the amazing happenings as staff visit and support our clients.”