A Quarterly Newsletter of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains Vol. 24 No. 1 ~ Elul 5771/September 2011
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N A T I O N A L A S S O C I A T I O N O F J E W I S H C H A P L A I N S NAJC Newsletter Elul 5771/September 2011 1 קורא קולNAJC 901 Route 10 Whippany, NJ 07981 (973) 929-3168 [email protected]Change Is The Only Constant Rabbi Yaacov Rone, President Dear Chevre, Change is the only constant. This is the thought that has been going through my head as I have approached a number of individuals to sit with me as we plan the next five-year Strategic Plan for our organization. We all want to grow, to improve, to forgive and be forgiven. We all want to feel that we are needed and that we are filling a vital role in life. This is certainly true of us collectively as well. We want more than our daily routine of three meals a day and a place to live and work. How can we make life soar? If what we want is of great significance to us, then we must be willing to do. To sit and meditate will not get us anywhere. The emphasis is on the doing. And that is where the mitzvah is - not saying but doing. "The Eternal One is the Healer of the broken hearted And the One who binds their sorrow." (Psalms 147:3) A Quarterly Newsletter of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains Vol. 24 No. 1 ~ Elul 5771/September 2011 Rabbi Yaacov Rone, President Rabbi Naomi Kalish, President-elect Rabbi Bonita E Taylor, V.P. Rabbi Moe Kaprow, Treasurer Rabbi Sandra Katz, Secretary Rabbi David Glicksman, Certification Rabbi Ephraim Karp, Conference Rabbi Lowell Kronick, Immediate Past President Rabbi Mark Goldfarb, Newsletter Editor Bryan Kinzbrunner Journal of Jewish Spiritual Care, Editor Cecille Allman Asekoff, Executive Vice-President On The Inside: ........... President's Message 1 .............. Treasurer's Report 2 ......... Days Of Awe Greeting 3 ....... Certification Milestones 4 ..... Certification Commission 4 .......... JJSP Call For Articles 5 ...... Membership Committee 5 .......... NAJC & A.J. Archives 6 .................. Board Summary 6 .................... Chai Campaign 7 Robert Wood Johnson ......... Hospital & NAJC 8-9 ..................... NAJC Website 9 .. Glatt Chaplaincy Training 10 ................... To Save A Life 10 Healthy Grieving Book ......................... Review 11 .................... Y'mei Iyun 12-14 .... Benefits of Membership 15 ............ With Our Members 16 New חברים. .……………… 16 .............. Upcoming Events 17 ................. Board Members 17 Message From The President NAJC CRISIS HOTLINE/CARELINE The NAJC Crisis Hotline/Careline is available 24/6 for chaplains needing peer support during stressful times. Our hotline chaplain is Sheila Segal, BCC. She can be reached at 610-668-8069 or [email protected]. Continued on page 2
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N A T I O N A L A S S O C I A T I O N O F J E W I S H C H A P L A I N S
Change Is The Only ConstantRabbi Yaacov Rone,PresidentDear Chevre,
Change is the only constant. This is the thought that has been going through my head as I have approached a number of individuals to sit with me as we plan the next five-year Strategic Plan for our organization.
We all want to grow, to improve, to forgive and be forgiven. We all want to feel that we are needed and that we are filling a vital role in life. This is certainly true of us collectively as well.
We want more than our daily routine of three meals a day and a place to live and work. How can we make life soar?
If what we want is of great significance to us, then we must be willing to do. To sit and meditate will not get us anywhere. The emphasis is on the doing. And that is where the mitzvah is - not saying but doing.
"The Eternal One is the Healer of the broken hearted And the One who binds their sorrow." (Psalms 147:3)
A Quarterly Newsletter of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains Vol. 24 No. 1 ~ Elul 5771/September 2011
Rabbi Yaacov Rone,President
Rabbi Naomi Kalish, President-elect
Rabbi Bonita E Taylor, V.P.
Rabbi Moe Kaprow, Treasurer
Rabbi Sandra Katz, Secretary
Rabbi David Glicksman, Certification
Rabbi Ephraim Karp,Conference
Rabbi Lowell Kronick,Immediate Past President
Rabbi Mark Goldfarb,Newsletter Editor
Bryan KinzbrunnerJournal of Jewish Spiritual Care, Editor
..Glatt Chaplaincy Training! 10...................To Save A Life! 10
Healthy Grieving Book .........................Review! 11....................Y'mei Iyun! 12-14
....Benefits of Membership ! 15............With Our Members! 16
New חברים .!.………………!16..............Upcoming Events! 17
.................Board Members! 17
Message From The President
NAJC CRISIS HOTLINE/CARELINEThe NAJC Crisis Hotline/Careline is available 24/6 for chaplains needing peer support during stressful times. Our hotline chaplain is Sheila Segal, BCC. She can be reached at 610-668-8069 or [email protected].
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It is in this spirit that the Strategic Planning Committee, composed of a rainbow of who our membership is, is looking at our future. Did we as the NAJC keep personal contact as a primary goal? Are our standards for membership and certification fair? Equitable? Reflective of both who we are and who we want to be? Have we endowed ourselves with worth?
I know that we have found a cause in which we fervently believe, that moves us to confront the larger issues of Jewish Chaplaincy and spirituality.
As we enter the year 5772, we will continue to work towards finding solutions to our difficulties and plan and execute for our future.
May the New Year inscribe each of us in the Book of Life.לשנה טובה!
Treasurer's ReportRabbi Maurice S. Kaprow, M.A., B.C.C., TreasurerDear Chevre,
Please accept my best wishes to each of you and your families for a שנה טובה ומתוקה - may we each be blessed with a year of health, happiness, and joy.
I would like to be sure that you know we are working very diligently to assure that NAJC programs are expanded to reach more of our members. Our ימי עיון are rapidly spreading across the country and we are eager to help additional sites organize programs during the coming year. Our website continues to grow and we are looking at potential expansions to its capabilities.
Our new fiscal year began on July 1 and dues are starting to come in. It was only with great reluctance that we decided to raise dues – the first time in four years – knowing the economic impact that move would have. As always, I am ready to speak with anyone who needs to make arrangements for dues payments. If you need help, please contact me at [email protected], or call me at 407-415-3322. Our goal is to keep each and every one of you as a member in good standing of NAJC.
We most strongly encourage each of you who is working to ask your institution to help support NAJC by becoming a Non-Profit Supporter for $150.00. Every one of our institutional supporters will be recognized at our annual conference and will become members of the National Association of Jewish Chapels and Institutional Synagogues.
Let me close by stating that NAJC is a vibrant, fiscally sound organization. We value your membership and look forward to helping our profession grow during the coming year.כל טוב,
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NAJC Newsletter Elul 5771/September 2011 3
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May the sound of the Shofarusher in a New Year of
health and happiness, love and joy,
prosperity & contentment,wholeness and peacefor you and all your
family.
From your friends at NAIC:
Yaacov Rone, President
Naomi Kalish, President Elect
Bonita Taylor, Vice President
Moe Kaprow, Treasurer
Sandra Katz, Secretary
David Glicksman, lnterim Certification
Ephraim Karp, Conference
Lowell Kronick, lmmediate Past Pres.
Cecille Asekoff, Exec. Vice President
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Continued Certification Milestones for 2011Rabbi Moshe A. Abramowitz, Rabbi Charles Rabinowitz, Rabbi Sara BermanContinuing Education & Peer Review Committee
One of the standards each NAJC Certified Chaplain agrees to when applying for and successfully completing the certification process is “The chaplain accepts responsibility and accountability for maintaining professional certification, for continuing education and peer review …” as described in Certification Standards #130.500. Our Committee has endeavored to make this process easier by periodic reminders and reports. In the end, it is the certified chaplain’s ultimate responsibility to complete the process. We can only help. The obligation is yours, with or without our assistance. Simply put, if you do not provide the required reports on time, each year, you have failed to meet your on-going certification requirements and the continuance of your hard-earned certification is in jeopardy.
In the weeks before and after the ימים נוראים certified chaplains will get just such a reminder. It will reflect what report (Continuing Education or Peer Review) is due by January 31, 2012. That report is due by that date at the NAJC office unless you have communicated with one of the Committee Members and gotten an extension. Otherwise the deadline is firm and your certification will not be renewed without the necessary reporting.
For those members who are completing Peer Review at the 2012 Annual Conference, an extension will be granted to submit your report after the conference is finished. Continuing Education, however, is not a complex requirement and your report is due on or before January 31st. Please remember it will be a 2011 Report even though you submit it in 2012.
Every year we hear from many members who could not complete a Peer Review on time. If you live or work in an area where arranging such a review is difficult, please contact one of us immediately for guidance and assistance. Not hearing from you puts you in a delinquent category and generates actions and letters which can be avoided if you just call or write.
Certification is proof that you meet the standards and requirements of professional chaplaincy. Don’t risk losing this important credential.
Our Committee wishes one and all a שנה טובה ומתוקה and hope your efforts and attention to your professional standing are met with success.
Certification Commission ReportRabbi David Glicksman, Interim Certification Chair
If you have been a Regular/Full Member of NAJC for at least one year and have fulfilled the requirements for certification which are found in the Certification Handbook, we encourage you to pursue board certification. The National Office of NAJC and I need to know of your intent to appear before a January, 2012 committee by September 27, 2011. All of your written materials must be sent to the National Office by October 31, 2011 for an appearance in January, 2012.
The certification handbook and application can be found either on our website www.najc.org or obtained from the office [email protected].
The certification interviews will be held at the annual NAJC conference to be held in Cleveland Jan. 15-18, 2012.
Please be sure to consult the Certification Handbook. Should you have any questions regarding certification, please contact me at either [email protected] or 732-688-4197.
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Journal of Jewish Spiritual Care Call For ArticlesBryan Kinzbrunner
Dear NAJC members,
I invite you to participate in the Journal of Jewish Spiritual Care. I have taken over as editor in chief and am currently beginning to prepare an issue for the fall. I would like to ask if anyone has material that they would like published; I will still accept submissions for the next couple of weeks for the journal. Additionally, if you do not think that you will have time to contribute to this issue, please be advised that the submission date for the subsequent issue will be Nov. 15, 2011. For the future, we will look to themed issues as well as general issues.
Additionally, if anyone is interested in helping me out with editing, please let me know. I currently have one person who has offered editing support.
The journal will accept both scholarly articles of an academic or research nature and experiential and reflective presentations, which discuss aspects of or topics related to Jewish chaplaincy, clinical pastoral education, Jewish healing, Jewish spiritual care and counseling, and Jewish medical ethics. The Editor and Editorial Board will make all decisions about the appropriateness of publication of each submission.
The Editor requests that all submissions be a clean attachment to an email, in Microsoft Word with no editorial markups. Please keep texts to 2000-4000 words. Exceptions to this guideline will be made in unusual circumstances.
The Editor requests that the text be double-spaced. Citations of Biblical, Talmudic and Rabbinic texts should be in the text of the article, surrounded by parentheses, rather than citations in the notes. Transliteration of Hebrew should follow recognized academic usage.
From The Membership CommitteeRabbi Sol Agin, D.D., B.C.C.
Dear Colleagues:This is the first opportunity as Chairperson of the NAJC membership committee to share my
thoughts with you. As membership chair, I work closely with Cecille Asekoff and Gail Herman. Cecille and I review every application with great care and do reject those that lack educational information or failed to supply appropriate data.
In addition, we have individuals who apply that come from questionable schools of higher learning. This is becoming a more common problem that causes concern. It is important that we accept people with proper academic credentials. Some applicants feel strongly that if they study with a certain rabbi that exempts them or they have taken some courses on line and that should be an exemption. These applicants are rejected without question. NAJC has standards for affiliation and as your chair they will be met.
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NAJC Chooses American Jewish ArchivesRabbi Robert Tabak, PhD, BCC
Researching a profession or changes in Jewish communal life depends on availability of records as well as recollections of people involved. Many organizations, especially those in existence for years (in the NAJC’s case since 1990) have accumulated records that should be saved rather than discarded. The NAJC Board recently selected the American Jewish Archives (AJA) in Cincinnati as the repository for our organizational records. Adriana Kuzyszyn, an intern from Rutgers University at the NAJC office, is transferring copies of NAJC minutes and some other records, and is making plans to regularly send documents and publications to the AJA.
The AJA, one of the two largest Jewish archives in the US, has an excellent record of preserving materials and making them available for researchers and scholars. This collection will join other important organizational collections there, including records of the Association of Hillel and Jewish Campus Professionals, B’nai Brith, the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education, and the World Jewish Congress.
However, the records of organizations only tell part of the story. The AJA is also interested in the papers of individual chaplains. These documents – correspondence, reports, notes from meetings and talks, ideas for new programs, discussions of current activities, and other papers– will add much to future understanding of our field. Please consider making a donation of your own papers to the AJA. You can get more information from senior archivist Kevin Proffitt, [email protected].
Rabbi Robert Tabak, PhD, BCC, is a staff chaplain at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and chairs the NAJC archives committee. He is the author of “The Emergence of Jewish Health-Care Chaplaincy: The Professionalization of Spiritual Care” http://americanjewisharchives.org/journal/PDF/2010_62_02_00_tabak.pdf
Board SummaryRabbi Sandra Katz, Secretary•All communication regarding the NAJC Web Page is to be directed to Cecille Asekoff, who will forward
communication to our webmaster, Matt Halpern.•Moe Kaprow reported that the NAJC is slated to be approved by the Armed Forces Chaplains’ Board. A
meeting with Harold Robinson of the Jewish Welfare Board will take place in NY in September. The NAJC is seeking VA endorsement and it would be helpful to also provide the name of a VA chaplain seeking endorsement with our application. If you are a VA Chaplain seeking endorsement, please contact Moe Kaprow at [email protected].
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Thanks to these contributors, we raised $4,336 during the NAJC Chai Campaign!
Rabbi Alan Abrams
Rabbi Sol Agin
Rabbi Katy Allen
Mr. Colin Alter
Cecille Asekoff
Rabbi Stanley Asekoff
Rabbi Leslie Bergson
Rabbi Susan Conforti
Rabbi Meryl Crean
Rabbi Judith Edelstein
Rabbi Louis Feldman
Dr. Bruce Feldstein
Rabbi Natan Fenner
Rabbi Susan Freeman
Rabbi Dayle Friedman
Rabbi Charles Friedman
Rabbi Ruth Gais
Rabbi Jonas Goldberg
Rabbi Robert Grosberg
Rabbi Naomi Gross
Rabbi Patti Haskell
Rabbi Joanne Hirschmann
Dr. Reuven Jaffe
Rabbi Naomi Kalish
Ms. Pam Kaplan
Rabbi Karen Bookman Kaplan
Rabbi Moe Kaprow
Rabbi Sandra Katz
Rabbi Sherman Kirshner
Rabbi Cary Kozberg
Rabbi Tsvi Landau
Rabbi Joel & Annette Levinson
Ms. Karen Lieberman
Rabbi Jaron Matlow
Rabbi Myrna Matsa
Rabbi Barbara Metzinger
Rabbi Edith Meyerson
Rabbi Larry Moldo
Rabbi David Moseson
Rabbi Joseph Potasnik
Rabbi Rochelle Robins
Rabbi Yaacov Rone
Rabbi Steven Rubenstein
Rabbi Herman Savitz
Cantor Neil Schwartz
Rabbi Julie Schwartz
Chaplain Sheila Segal
Rabbi Sam Seicol
Rabbi Marion Shulevitz
Rabbi Simcha Silverman
Rabbi Ruth Smith
Julius & Adela Sommer
Rabbi Robert Tabak
Rabbi Bonita E Taylor
Rev. Mary Martha Thiel
Rabbi Kalman Winnick
Rabbi Arnold Zoref
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Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Partners With The National Association of Jewish Chaplains To Encourage Growth Of Pastoral Care In Israel
(New Brunswick)- Treating the “whole” patient is a commonly used phrase in health care in the United States. In many cases, it means using pastoral care to address the spiritual and emotional needs of a patient, not just physical needs, to aid in the healing process.
And while pastoral care is widely accepted in the United States, it is still not prevalent in countries such as Israel. That’s why Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s (RWJUH) Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Program has partnered with the National Association of Jewish Chaplains in America (NAJC) to offer a unique residency fellowship training program, the Rabbi Zahara Davidowitz Fellowship, to help chaplains bring formal pastoral care programs back to Israeli hospitals, long-term care facilities and hospices.
According to the Reverend John DeVelder, Director of RWJUH’s CPE program, the goal is to formally train chaplains so pastoral care and clinical pastoral education will continue to grow in Israel. He believes that the Davidowitz Fellowship program is the only one of its kind in the U.S. He hopes that other hospitals, both in New Jersey and nationally, will develop similar programs. The program consists of 400 hours of clinical training, with 100 hours devoted to seminars on pastoral care theory such as multi-faith spiritual care of patients. The remaining 300 hours are completed in a clinical setting as students focus on direct patient care and work with physicians, nurses and other allied health care professionals on hospital units.
RWJUH provided accreditation for the first Clinical Pastoral Education programs conducted in Israel for the past six years by Rabbi Zahara Davidowitz-Farkas. Now, in her honor, the hospital has established the Fellowship to bring one Israeli trainee each summer to the United States for further training. Rev. DeVelder believes that Israel’s pastoral care journey is very similar to what America experienced just “30-40 years ago.”
“Just as it was in America years ago, in Israel, a greater emphasis is placed on the physical well-being of the patient,” Rev. DeVelder notes. “Through years of education and refining pastoral care programs here, medical professionals see the benefit it has for patients and their families. Their support has been instrumental in pastoral care’s growth and acceptance.”
Adira Ben Aharon, a Hospice Therapist (Music Thanatologist) at The Hospice of Upper Galilee (HUG), is the second pastoral education student to complete RWJUH’s fellowship program. In addition to being a chaplain, Ben Aharon is an accomplished musician who incorporates music into her work caring for terminally ill patients in the hospice.
She notes that there is a need to develop pastoral education programs in Israel. Ben Aharon believes that training programs like the one at RWJUH will help bring the concept of pastoral care to Israel demonstrating to other health care professionals the importance of emotional and spiritual care for patients and families. “If you have cooperation from the medical team, the family and patient would greatly benefit,” she explains. The first pioneering intern of this program was Valerie Stessin in the summer of 2010, who worked in the field of hospice and end of life issues in Jerusalem.
RWJUH’s residency fellowship program resulted from the vision of Cecille Asekoff, who heads the NAJC.
Continued on page 8
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“I had a dream of bringing pastoral care to Israel for many years,” Asekoff says. Nearly 8 years ago, Asekoff helped to organize a conference to study the concept of bringing pastoral care to Israel. Meeting organizers were careful to host the event in a neutral location to not offend any representatives of the many strains of Judaism that exist in Israel. The initial meeting drew 65 participants to the Sheraton Plaza Hotel in Jerusalem. A follow-up conference just four months later attracted twice as
many participants.“At that point, we knew we were on the right track,” Asekoff explains. “We didn’t even know how
to properly advertise the conferences at the time. Word of mouth and a shared passion among the participants for bringing clinical pastoral education to Israel led to our success.”
The group decided to start its own 400-hour clinical pastoral education program and recruited Rabbi Zahara Davidowitz to lead the effort. RWJUH provided the accreditation and the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) of New York provided the funding. Additional consultation from Rev. DeVelder and Rabbi David Glicksman, (former chaplain of the Jewish Home in Somerset, N.J.) came from two trips to Israel and via Skype.
“As passionate as we were in the beginning, we knew that this would not work without the right person on the ground,” Asekoff explains. “We needed someone with the ability to develop a professional CPE program that was sensitive to the unique cultural challenges that existed in Israel.”
The goal was lofty and the “to-do” list was long. To develop the program, Davidowitz needed buy-in from a Seminary in Jerusalem and hospitals, long-term care facilities and hospices throughout Israel. She had to convince administrators that the program was intended to educate students and help their patients. A selling point in her favor was that the program came at no cost to health care facilities.
Almost 8 years later, the program is growing steadily and led to the creation of the Davidowitz Fellowship at RWJUH that Ben Aharon will complete on August 12. Ben Aharon is looking forward to sharing what she has learned this summer with colleagues in Israel. A foreign concept only a few years ago, pastoral care is gradually gaining more acceptance in her country among patients and health care providers.
“It is coming along in Israel now,” she explains. “People are looking for it (pastoral care) and are asking about it more.”
To learn more about RWJUH, please visit www.rwjuh.edu. For a referral to a physician affiliated with RWJUH, please call 1-888-MD-RWJUH. Follow us on Twitter at www.rwjuh.edu/twitter and Facebook at www.rwjuh.edu/facebook.
Web Site InformationRabbi Yehuda Blank, MS, BCC
NAJC is working on new venues for web conferencing which will be forthcoming in the new year. May you have a שנה טובה ומתוקה and be inscribed in the Good Books.Rabbi Yehuda [email protected]
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To Save A LifeRabbi Sara Berman
“Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world."- Sanhedrin 37a Yet what does that mean? Most of us touch the lives of many throughout our lives, but how often are we
able to see the result? How often can we really see a life we’ve saved and how that life impacts “an entire world.”
Recently, I was able to experience such an encounter. I was able to meet the person whose life I had helped save.
Four years ago, I donated my stem cells. While I was sitting through the scary, uncomfortable procedure, it was hard to imagine what good it could actually do. Yet, a few weeks ago, I was able to see the good. I went to Atlanta and I met Michael, the recipient of my stem cells, and his family. I saw his kids and how they were now able to grow up with a father. I met his parents, forever grateful for my gift. I spoke to his wife. I listened to the story of how she was told to have all his friends and family come to say their goodbyes. I heard her talk about how scared she was when Michael was “on his deathbed” and she worried about the future of her young boys, six months and 2 ½ years old at the time. I connected with Michael, discovering our similarities and learning about his strength. I received notes of thanks from his friends, informing me how important Mike is and how grateful they are for my gift of life. I saw that Michael’s life, a life I helped save, meant the world to so many people, to “an entire world."
Michael is the “Face of Cancer.” Cancer is not about numbers. It is not about statistics. It is about people. And their families. And their hope. Not everyone can donate their stem cells. But everyone can do something to help another person. Let us remember this as we go about our day touching the lives of many.
Rabbi Melvin J Glatt ז״ל Chaplaincy Training Course in Israel Completes First Session
The first annual session of the Rabbi Melvin J. Glatt ז״ל Chaplaincy Training Course, sponsored by the Glatt Family and by NAJC and Life's Door-Tishkofet was held with great acclaim this past June-July 2011 at the Tishkofet Center in Jerusalem. The course, which was held in collaboration with the Zohar Rabbinic Organization, was attended by 7 leading rabbis from communities throughout Israel.
Rabbi Melvin J. Glatt ז״ל was the first US certified Jewish chaplain and served as a community based chaplain in the southern New Jersey area during the 80's and 90's. He was not only a skilled and dedicated chaplain but also displayed the middot of chesed and emet and was a beacon of caring for all he served. The program was launched at a memorable hazkarah at Tishkofet on the 11th of Adar in which his loving wife, Rivkah Frank, and their children, Odia Glatt Wroblewski and Dr. David Glatt-Gilad (who live in Israel), shared their memories and recalled his special work. Dr. Ben Corn, who was a personal friend of Rabbi Glatt from his pre-aliyah residence in Cherry Hill, also delivered a moving dvar torah and recalled what an exceptional man Rabbi Glatt had been.
The course is an introduction to CPE and incorporates both didactic and experiential learning including site work and verbatims. It was instructed by Eli Sharon, who is entering the Educators Training Track in the Israel training program for Tmicha Ruchani, having done his prerequisite Tomech Ruchani modules. Eli is the Director of Tmicha Ruchani at the Tishkofet-Maagan Jerusalem Comprehensive Patient and Family Support Center. The course participant's feedback was overwhelmingly positive with comments such as, this was a "turning point in my professional life," and "I have learned how much more I can do for my community." The course is planned to be an annual program with ongoing support-supervision meetings throughout the year.
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Book Review: ABCs of Healthy Grieving, by Harold Ivan Smith.Reviewed by David J. Zucker, PhD, BCC
In my experience, it is the best book on the market. Short. Practical. Easy to read. Eminently applicable. This is a literal alphabet of ABCs for Grieving.
Each person walks through the valley of deepest darkness on an individual path. Yet, we share commonalities dealing with grief. Smith presents 72 (!) techniques/ suggestions that will help most in their initial year of sadness. He frames these entries as ABC’s. Far from an alphabet of woe, this is a list of well thought through ways to face grief, doing it as a form of self-healing.
These entries are terse. Each category is two pages. Each features the title, followed by one or two relevant quotations, and then Smith’s teaching. He concludes with an “I can” statement, which invites the reader to address what was learned in this section.
His opening chapter is Allow for individual differences in grieving. Then Anticipate the holiday “blues” and Ask your questions. B’s include Befriend the silence, and Be with your grief. “Cry” is followed by Decide specific things friends can do for you, . . . Give yourself permission to grieve . . . Overlook the easy answers . . . Tell God what is on your mind . . . Write thank you notes on your schedule.
Once a person reads the introduction, it is possible to hopscotch through the book and find those entries or sections that are most relevant.
The book is small enough to fit into a coat pocket or a purse, ready as a handy reference. Though published by a religiously affiliated press, Ave Maria, it is relevant and inviting to all faiths
and no faiths. This is a book for pastoral caregivers, chaplains, social workers, clergy, and funeral directors alike. It is a book to read, share, and offer to anyone who is grieving.
David J. Zucker
ABCs of Healthy Grieving. Harold Ivan Smith. 174 pages. Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2007. $12.95. (paperback).
Reviewer David J. Zucker, PhD, BCC, is the Immediate Past Director of Spirituality and Rabbi/Chaplain at Shalom Park, a senior continuum of care center, as well as Chaplain for Beth Nehamah Hospice in Aurora, Colorado. Zucker is Board Certified by the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and the Association of Professional Chaplains. He publishes in a variety of journals, and his latest book is The Torah: An Introduction for Christians and Jews (Paulist 2005). He may be contacted at www.davidjzucker.org.
Staff Chaplain, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Adjunct Faculty, St. Joseph’s University and Cabrini College; Editor, RRA Connection (Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association Newsletter); and author of "The Emergence of Jewish Health-Care Chaplaincy: The Professionalization of Spiritual Care," American Jewish Archives Journal 62, no. 2 (December 2010): 89-109
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Wednesday, September 7, 2011 10:00 - 11:30 AM Hirst Auditorium First Floor, Dulles Building
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania 3400 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA
For more information, call 215-662-2591 or visit www.uphs.upenn.edu/pastoral
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NAJC Newsletter Elul 5771/September 2011 13
""""כךכךכךכך----ואושר מרחקם הקרוב כלואושר מרחקם הקרוב כלואושר מרחקם הקרוב כלואושר מרחקם הקרוב כל"""" )זכרון מתקדם לעתידיהודה עמיחי מתוך (
מכון שכטרנושא תמיכה רוחנית ביום עיון ב
13.9.11 ,א" תשעד אלול"י, יום שלישי
דברי פתיחה והתכנסות 9:30-10:00 ש שכטר"בית המדרש לרבנים ע, ילברשייןזהרב משה
–" תמיכה רוחנית מזווית הראיה של רופא טיפול תומך" 10:15-11:15
N A T I O N A L A S S O C I A T I O N O F J E W I S H C H A P L A I N S
NAJC Newsletter Elul 5771/September 2011 15
Membership Has Its Benefits….
We are excited to announce a new free benefit to our members. Through our partnership with Working Advantage you can now save up to 60% on:
Movie Tickets! ! ! Theme Parks! ! ! ! Ski TicketsBroadway Shows! ! Sporting Events! ! ! Hotels and TravelHealth and Fitness! ! Museums and City Passes! ! Merchant Gift Certificates Online Shopping! ! Car Rentals! ! ! ! …and much more!To access these benefits, click here: www.workingadvantage.com. When opening an individual account
you will need the National Association of Jewish Chaplains ID# 320148156.Working Advantage offers 24-hour online shopping and customer support Monday through Friday from
8:00 AM to 6:30 PM Eastern time. If you have specific questions regarding the site, please contact Working Advantage at 800-565-3712.
This valuable membership perk is the result of a suggestion made by one of our members. We look to each of you - our members - to help improve and enhance our organization. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us with your suggestions and comments.
Among the current benefits of membership in our growing (600+) professional association are:NAJC members only listserv where chaplains post comments and receive support, advice, and tips from fellow membersA fantastic annual conference (stay tuned for more details…)A user friendly website (with further enhancements planned)Regional Y’mei Iyun (help us plan one in your area)Job postings and resume review service
EntertainmentSave up to 60% on movie tickets, theme parks,ski resorts, hotels, museums, zoos, attractions,aquariums and more!
Theatre & EventsFind great seats and super deals on a hugeselection of Tony Award®-winning Broadwayshows, family events, concerts and sportingevents nationwide.
Shopping & GiftsWorking Advantage has partnered with yourfavorite online retailers to bring you excellentdiscounts on apparel, books and music, electronics, office supplies, flowers, food, and home. Don’t miss our wide selection of gift certificates for everyone on your list.
Earn RewardsLook for the Advantage Point symbol and earn points to be redeemed for movie tickets,gift cards, and more.
Exclusive discounts include:
Save up to60% on tickets, traveland shopping!
www.workingadvantage.com
or call (800) 565- 3712
Register for your FREE account today!Go to www.workingadvantage.com
Select the Register button at the top of the page
Select Employees Click Here
Enter Member ID #3201481564
3
2
1
National Association of Jewish Chaplainsmembers are eligible for the WorkingAdvantage discount program.
N A T I O N A L A S S O C I A T I O N O F J E W I S H C H A P L A I N S
16 NAJC Newsletter Elul 5771/September 2011
With Our Membersמזל טובStanley and Cecille Asekoff were honored by B’nai
Shalom of West Orange, NJ, for their 39 years of dedication and service to the shul and the community.
Steven Rubenstein began a new position as Director of Spiritual Care at Shalom Park in Aurora, Colorado.
Myrna Matsa on the birth of granddaughter Maya Devora Matsa; parents are David & Lesley Matsa.
Joel and Annette Levinson on the engagement of their son, Jason Ian, to Eliana Tali Pierce.
Moshe and Cheryl Abramowitz on the engagement of their son, Rabbi David Abramowitz, to Chani Wagner of Queens, NY. Also on the aliyah of their son Rabbi Daniel and Yael Abramowitz and their five children
המקום ינחם Ruth Jaffe, whose husband, Dr. Reuben Jaffe, died
August 6th.
Chaplain Happeningsישר כוחDr. Ben Corn, our Israeli member and colleague,
received the Israeli President’s Award for Outstanding Volunteerism in Israel
Carole Gould, whose article, On Suffering: A Chaplain’s Letter, was published in The JPCC, Spring/Summer 2011 issue (Vol. 65, No. 1,2)
Rabbi Yehuda Blank who will be awarded the Person of the Year 2011 by the NYPD Shomrim Society in October.
Richard Backer on receiving NAJC Board Certification.
Jason Weiner on receiving the Orthodox Union West Coast Region Leadership Award. Jason was also appointed the first Senior Rabbi & Manager of Spiritual Care of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA.
Jo Hirschmann, whose article "Psychological and Theological Dynamics in an Inpatient Psychiatric Chaplaincy Group" was published in The Journal of Religion and Health.
Sanford H. Shudnow, who conducted the Memorial Service at the Disabled American Veterans, 90th Annual Department Convention in Washington, DC. Also his scholarly article, "Love Thy Neighbor: Challenging the Notion of In-Group Morality in the Bible,” appeared in the Australian Journal of Jewish Studies, Vol. XXIV. Finally, Sanford's art was exhibited at the Wheaton Branch of Montgomery County Public Libraries in Silver Spring, MD.
ברוכים הבאיםWe Welcome These New חברים:
Members:Rabbi Kara Tav" Rabbi Rena Arshinoff
New York, NY" " Toronto, CanadaNancy Rigelhaupt Smith" Rabbi Richard Rudnick
Newton, MA" " Worcester, MARabbi Barbara Metzinger
Y'mei Iyun:September 7th, Philadelphia:Historical Perspectives on the Professionalization of Spiritual Care.Sep. 13, 2011, Jerusalem:ואושר מרחקם הקרוב כל־כך
November 8, 2011 Los Angeles:"Understanding the Nature of Disaster and How To Help Your Community Heal."March 22, 2012, Somerset, NJ:Hospice Through Jewish Eyes
NAJC Annual Conferences:January 15-18, 2012 -" Cleveland, OHJanuary 2013 - Scottsdale AZJanuary 2014 - South FloridaJanuary 2015 - Israel
Israel KenesMay 1-2, 2012 - Jerusalem
Traveling To Israel?Please let the NAJC office know if you have plans to travel to Israel. Cecille Allman Asekoff [email protected](973) 929-3168
Newsletter Deadline:November 27, 2011
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