When Barry Manilow Brought Madison Square Garden to a Hospital Room

A dying woman’s final wish seemed impossible—until Barry Manilow quietly walked into her hospital room and gave her a private concert she’d never forget.

Barry Manilow has been performing around the globe for over 60 years. I never gave the iconic singer much thought until a story about him was recently shared by a nurse that deserves to be widely known.

The nurse was caring for a terminally ill woman who confided that she felt sad because all she wanted was to see Manilow perform at Madison Square Garden, but her physical condition made it impossible.

On a whim, the nurse contacted Manilow’s team and told them about her patient’s wish, but she expected nothing to happen.

A few days later, Barry Manilow inconspicuously walked into the woman’s hospital room with an assistant carrying a keyboard. Barry gave her a 15-minute show that she would never forget. The singer left the hospital without any fanfare, disappearing back into his private world, leaving the terminally ill woman elated. 

Barry Manilow could have just sent her a note or called her, yet he took the time and effort to perform the mitzvah of bikkur cholim, visiting the sick, bringing intense joy into the dying woman’s life. 

I don’t know what Jewish education Barry received, but he obviously received a master’s degree in caring about his fellow human being. He took the talent that God gave him and shared it with another person, uplifting their spirits, even if only for a moment. 

When all is said and done, it is these golden moments that truly define us and will bear testimony to the content of our character when we stand before our Maker. 

Too often we think that only holy people can accomplish great things. The truth is that every single one of us is endowed with a spark of Divine holiness, enabling us in our respective ways to bring God’s light into the world.

A lawyer can put his heart before his case. A doctor can help patients that may not be able to pay. A busy neighbor can visit an elderly, bedridden woman suffering from Alzheimer’s. Everyone has a chance to rise to the occasion. 

Jerry Lewis was known for his comedic style and filmmaking.Yet his greatest moments were the hundreds of millions of dollars - and awareness - he raised for muscular dystrophy with the telethon and free concerts.

Jerry Seinfeld, Debra Messing, Michael Rappaport and so many others have bravely and proudly supported Israel and fought antisemitism from the media and the world at large. 

Each of us carries an inner Divine spark that empowers us to bring goodness into the world. Barry Manilow, like countless others, reminds us that this spark is alive within us, wherever we may be in life. Our task is to recognize it and let it shine.

May we never forget that, no matter where life takes us or how far we feel we’ve wandered, the Divine spark remains within. By attuning ourselves to it—and expressing it through our actions, words, and yes, sometimes even a song—we can draw from that deep reservoir of holiness within.