In sukkah, Med School prof discusses life's little miracles

Standing among members of the Jewish community last night, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania anesthesiologist David Eckmann talked to a small audience about recognizing miracles in his daily life as a medical doctor. The Lubavitch House hosted Eckmann's talk at the sukkah -- a temporary structure used by observant Jews as part of the Sukkot festival -- in the Upper Quadrangle courtyard. While most of those in attendance expected Eckmann -- a professor of Anesthesiology in the Medical School -- to talk about medical miracles he has seen in his experiences as a doctor, he instead focused more on general occurrences in life that have reminded him that things happen for a reason. Eckmann described his belief in the Jewish philosophy that God is present at all times and that every person can find an occurrence in life to connect with. As examples, he spoke of several seemingly coincidental situations in his life in which he asked himself, "Why was I put there?" or "Why was I the doctor on call at that time when this patient was admitted?" "Whatever you do there is always a reason," Eckmann said. "You are meant to be there." Eckmann related an instance when he was walking on the Sabbath and found a dime on the ground that he did not pick up due to the restrictions of the Jewish faith. The following evening, however, Eckmann stumbled upon another dime under the front left door of his car. He believes that God rewarded him in a mysterious way that is obvious only to those who are attuned to it. A person may never find it and may never recognize it unless he is aware of these subtle coincidences, Eckmann said. But what makes people be at the right place at the right time, or at the wrong place at the wrong time? Eckmann, for his part, believes that he is assigned to his hospital shifts and meets certain patients for his own specific spiritual benefit rather than simply to provide medical care to them. "I don't think anyone has a cornered market in spirituality. God created the whole universe and everyone can find a way to connect to that," Eckmann added. "And it happens in very simple things. You don't need to see a gigantic miracle." The audience included Rabbi Ephraim Levin and other men associated with the Lubavitch House. Some students attended the speech to hear a Jewish professional reflect on the connection between his work and his religious beliefs. Others came because of their interests in science and medicine. Randy Windreich, a College junior who is a Religious Studies and Biology major, attended the speech to hear Eckmann's thoughts about the combination of science and religion. "He showed that God does play some part in our everyday lives," Windreich said. "And if you look for it, you'll see it."