Caring for the Elderly in the Jewish Community

Caring for the Elderly in the Jewish Community

Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak will focus on the context of hospice and hospital needs but will reference the internal diversity of the Jewish cultural and religious contexts. Chaplains answer the "frontline" spiritual and psycho-social needs of diverse minority populations. In the case of Judaism, it should be evident that there is not just one way to be Jewish religiously or claim that identity. Often, pausing to appreciate the internal complexity within groups builds trust and connection during stressful interactions. Discerning the needs of a family is a delicate challenge.

People may have an identity within Judaism, but at a specific moment, they are uncertain or even conflicted about how to respond because of fear or ambivalence, or ,,, a host of other factors. A chaplain's guidance can help sort out how to proceed. With a deft expression of humility and directness, a Chaplain may often find a way to point the way.

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This webinar is free and open to the public, and is co-sponsored by the GTU's Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies. It is made possible by a generous gift from Taube Philanthropies.
 

Panelists:

Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak serves as spiritual counselor for a Jewish-inspired palliative and hospice center, Skirball Hospice. His work focuses on offering comfort and insight to people. He also frequently helps patients develop life summary videos and ethical wills. The Skirball work is spiritually rewarding engagement.

Moderator:

Kamal Abu-Shamsieh is Director of the Interreligious Chaplaincy Program (ICP) and Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at the GTU. He founded Ziraya Muslim Spiritual Care and extensively traveled internationally to train chaplains in primarily Arab and Muslim countries. Since 2012, he has served as a chaplain at Stanford Hospital and Clinics. He completed four clinical pastoral education units (CPE) at Stanford Hospital and a Certificate in Palliative Care Chaplaincy from California State University Institute for Palliative Care. He completed a Ph.D. at the Graduate Theological Union in 2019 where he examined Prophet Muhammad's dying experience as a good death model for an Islamic practical theology for end-of-life care.