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Through the process of thinking about and observing how the Jewish community organizes and disorganizes itself there is much to be passionate about, much to diagnose, and much that can generate frustration and disappointment. This essay portrays a picture of this phenomenon, but ends with a personal narrative of hope and healing for the idea of community.

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In this article Rabbi Address suggests that the most powerful element in community building is in the creation and sustenance of sacred relationships and offers words of prayer to use as a blueprint.

Dr Andiman speaks of the task of trying to predict future "progress" in medicine and how as in all technical arenas is peppered with pitfalls. He uses the example of the Human Genome to assert the validity of his theory.

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Dr. Eber emphasizes that serious illness is a devastating and lonely experience, and the medically sophisticated clergy, social workers, and communal professionals who visit patients and function as patient advocates are an important part of the heath care process.

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A brief and accessible introduction to Torah, Torah study and Torah Reflections, commentaries on the weekly Torah portion especially attuned to the themes facing individuals, family and friends facing illness, loss and other bumps in the road. This introduction includes a website address to the bi-weekly Torah Reflections organized and offered by the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center.

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An introduction to Project Shin - an innovative and successful model of Spiritual Healing Integrating Nursing developed through collaboration between the Jewish Health and Healing Center of the JCC of Metro-West, New Jersey, local synagogues and Jewish senior center programs. It includes vignettes, program philosophy and methodology. This is an inspiring overview of how Congregational Nursing can help communities better respond to the needs of their elderly in a holistic manner and strengthen caring responses within synagogues.

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Rabbi Friedman has been confronting the world of Dementia for more than 25 years in her work with elders. This article is an exploration of the meaning of Dementia and an effort to put it in a theological context.

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The purpose of this compilation is to help individuals connect with Jewish spirituality and learning through the portal of easily accessible Torah commentaries. Each Torah portion is an access point, a password that has the potential for enabling the reader to make a connection to God and stimulate an interest in further Jewish learning.

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A journey through a multi-session Jewish spiritual support group for parents of estranged adult children complete with citations of biblical texts, stories and rituals used as triggers for exploring a broad range of complex feelings and issues. "The healing that took place with these parents arose from their connections to the ancient parents from their tradition; from the ability to comfort each other, from their having a place to tell their story and to be heard..."

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Rabbi Klein exquisitely translates the need to connect prayer and healing in a poetic manner during the hope for a cure for cancer.

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In response to a teen suicide at the local high school a diverse group of community leaders met to make meaning from this tragedy. The leaders wanted to understand and address the forces within their community that would lead teens to suicide and/or attempted suicide. The study resulted in an evaluation of the town's strengths and challenges to the health of the community and a list of proposed goals that would achieve better cultural health. The town council ultimately recommended the creation of a committee whose mission it would be to continue to address these important issues.

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An excerpt from the chapter entitled "God Is in the Text: Using Sacred Text and Teaching in Jewish Pastoral Care," which appears with complete citations in the volume Jewish Pastoral Care: A Practical Handbook from Traditional and Contemporary Sources (2nd Edition), Edited by Rabbi Dayle A. Friedman, MAJCS, MSW, available from Jewish Lights Publishing.

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It is an ancient custom in Judaism to set a marker (tombstone or plaque) at the head of the grave to honor our departed. The marker is placed so that our dead will not be forgotten and so that we will know our loved ones' burial sites. Rabbi Offel shares a meaningful ceremony to empower your self and your loved ones in this difficult time.

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The mitzvah of bikkur cholim, visiting the sick, is considered one of the most important obligations in Jewish life. Based on practical experience with a variety of bikkur cholim groups and as an outcome of an eight - week training program for volunteers, strategies and components of a needs-based model are proposed. The authors encourage synagogues to step back and re-envision a model of bikkur cholim that enables all members of the synagogue to be involved, each in his or her own capacity.

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When a beloved pet dies, it is a traumatic experience and it is important to find an appropriate and meaningful way to mark the loss. Rabbi Offel offers ritual to honor the death of a pet.

This article is reprinted with the permission of the Jewish Communal Service Association, publishers of the Journal of Jewish Communal Service. For subscription information, visit JCSANA.org

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Until recently, the Jewish Healing movement has primarily combined Jewish teachings and traditions, social work and counseling. Yet there are other fields that have much to offer to Jewish Healing, in terms of models for practice, potential for collaboration, and theoretical frameworks. One of these is Public Health, although the connection between Public Health approaches and Jewish Healing has been little explored. This paper seeks to begin to bridge this gap, by exploring the social epidemiology of religion and spirituality, and discussing the significance of incorporating spirituality and religion into public health programming.

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The Advanced Jewish Healing Program was developed at Temple Chai in Phoenix as a three year project called "Lilmode, Lelamed, Lenakhm" or "To Learn, To Teach, To Comfort." The main goal of the program is to deepen the participants' understanding of Jewish healing practices and the mitzvot of healing. As a result, the participants have opportunities to explore and implement projects intended to bring healing to their personal and professional work as well as the congregation and the community.

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Anyone who is trying to find meaning in their suffering, or who has questions about God and is seeking support or help from the Jewish tradition will find this booklet to be an accessible and helpful introductory resource. All of us struggle with how to create meaning and this booklet offers a glimpse of some of the many resources within Judaism. Included are highlights of three different theologies of suffering, a series of exercises to help clarify notions of God and some tools for how to cope with suffering.

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Healing Circles created especially for the workplace were an outgrowth of Jewish Healing Connections at JF&CS of Greater Boston. Since many of us face difficult challenges professionally and personally regarding illness or loss, Healing Circles are an innovative tool to provide support in the workplace. Healing Circles are essentially a gathering time for staff to experience shared support, connection and self-renewal. This "how to" manual provides a roadmap for offering Healing Circles in various workplace settings.

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Marcia Cohn Spiegel addresses the issues of victims of early childhood sexual abuse, and others who have survived psychological or physical abuse at the hands of those whom they loved and trusted while Jews approach the Days of Awe.

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Suzy Stone, a rabbinical student, was a Kalsman pastoral intern during the summer of 2009 at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In 2011, Stone focused her fourth year sermon at the intersection of her community organizing interest and her desire to have as many people as possible execute an Advanced Directive form. Here is a link to her sermon for Parsha Metzora. Stone discussed the rituals of life, death, and illness in the Jewish tradition, measured against guidance from the Shulchan Arukh, which teaches that "a sick person should be encouraged to settle his affairs." Our student worked to catalyze members of the HUC community to fill out the AD form through her sermon and also by hosting a house event with Neil Wenger, MD to educate and answer questions. Wenger is a Kalsman partner and UCLA physician and bioethicist.

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This essay explores the results of a National Conference on Outpatient Ministry in which the objective was to explore the relationship between the healing institution and the community, with respect to the spiritual needs of patient populations in general, and outpatients in particular. During planning for the conference, however, the distinction became apparent of the need to see patients in their locations, which were not hospitals but their communities.

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This website provides an overview of Jewish healing, access to an international network of Jewish healing centers, training resources, click and print Jewish healing resources, approaches to starting a Jewish healing center, program samples and publications. New information and resources are added regularly.

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California's new Health Care Decisions Law smooths the procedural path for those who wish to control their medical treatment in their last days.
Published in Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine
December 2000