My gratitude and love to Dr. Madhu Jhaveri
I met Dr. Jhaveri (whom I started calling “Jhaveri Uncle”) and his wife, Pallavi Jhaveri (“Aunty”), at the Middleborough Rehabilitation Center in 2022 through Volunteering for Seniors Inc (VFS). After our first meeting, I began visiting both Jhaveri Uncle and Aunty either at their home in Lakeville, Massachusetts, or at the rehabilitation center. They always warmly welcomed my visits, and during our conversations, we discussed various topics, including my school. Jhaveri Uncle was the first person to provide me with in-depth knowledge about Sanskrit, one of the world’s ancient languages.
Together, we would read passages from the works of Swami Vivekananda (the first Indian monk to introduce Eastern spirituality to the Western world in the 19th century) or his inspiring quotes. Uncle always took the time to enrich my understanding of Vedantic philosophy by explaining the deeper meanings behind several passages.
Dr. Jhaveri was a professor at UMass Dartmouth, a distinguished scholar, an author of several books, and a recipient of numerous accolades from various organizations. His incredible legacy can be briefly explored in this VFS interview link. In fact, when I met Swami Yogatmananda (an Indian monk from the Vedanta Center in Rhode Island) in Rio, Brazil, he spoke very highly of Jhaveri Uncle.
The last time I visited Uncle (before yesterday) was in the early summer of 2024. During that visit, he read a few quotes from a quantum physics book and explained its profound connection to Vedantic philosophy. Yesterday (January 4, 2025), I visited him to receive his New Year’s blessings. Sadly, in the past few months, his health has significantly deteriorated due to late-stage Parkinson’s disease. Now, he is completely bedridden and struggles with distorted speech.
When we entered his room at the Middleborough Rehabilitation Center, he was initially asleep. Upon waking, he had difficulty recognizing me and my mother. However, after a few minutes of conversation, especially when I gave him a New Year’s card, which he read immediately, he remembered us both. The first thing he asked was how I was doing in school, and he inquired about our family.
I felt immense joy spending time with him but was heartbroken to see his condition. As we were leaving, he gestured his blessings, and I could see the happiness in his eyes from our visit. Later in the evening, we also met Pallavi Aunty at her residence in Lakeville.
I wish both Aunty and Uncle the best of health and sincerely hope for Uncle’s recovery. I want to express my deepest gratitude to them for all their love, blessings, and share of knowledge.
– Neil Dutta
A dedicated Youth Volunteer