Adding More Diversi ty
This year, the group stretched a little
more with its new supervisor, the Rev.
Urias Beverly. He is an African
American minister at Grand River
Baptist Church in Detroit and an
educator at the Ecumenical
Theological Seminary in Detroit.
"I learned a lot from them, too,"
he said during a break in sessions at
the New York conference. The group
teased him about his nametag, which
read: "Rabbi Urias Beverly." David
Techner, funeral director at Ira
Kaufman Chapel and president of the
JHCN, also was given the title the
easy way.
"These rabbis were able to cross
their religious barriers and become
one group without losing who they
are," the Rev. Beverly said. "Working
together and learning from each
other, they actually strengthened who
they are and broadened their toler-
ance for others ... they've found
another family.
"But now it's time for them to
grow and become more diverse —
add women, Muslims, Christians. A
homogeneous group can only grow so
much: he said.
All of the rabbis have expressed
interest in continuing with CPE. As
possible, they will be integrated into
other CPE groups the Rev. Beverly
runs. •
Funding for the Jewish CPE pro-
gram and the New York conference
came from the Jewish Fund, estab-
lished with proceeds from the 1997
sale of Sinai Hospital in Detroit.
potential caregivers.
"This is a generational issue for all
of us. We're struggling with how to
provide basic care for our loved ones.
We can meet this challenge if we get
serious about it, but we're not serious
yet.
"We're all in denial — we're
drowning in it. We don't like to think
about dying but about health and liv-
ing. But dying is a normal part of liv-
ing and quality of life is a primary
goal. What does a positive death look
like?," Dr. Byock asked before outlin-
ing some basic steps to dying with
dignity.
"Our profession doesn't give up.
We show up and walk the last mile
with clients and families. Showing up
matters most," he said.
Sally Kaplan, Manhattan wife,
Rabbinic student Jennifer Tisdale
passes the time on the flight to New
York with Rabbis Dannel Schwartz
and Dovid Potter
mother and professional, spoke next.
Her extraordinary story of the positive
Conference Topics
death of her husband, who helped cel-
ebrate his daughter's bat mitzvah in
Though the conference seemed sec-
his hospital room just hours before he
ondary to cementing the group's rela-
died, moved most to tears.
tionships on this day trip, the Detroit
"We're the one human element in
participants appreciated the opportu-
a system that denies everything. The
nity for firsthand exposure to Dr. Ira
hospital is on one scale; we're the
Byock, considered the nation's fore-
most advocacy spokesman for hospice human scale," Rabbi Jim Michaels
said in a small group session. "We
care. He's the author of Dying Well:
need to change the system and make
The Prospect for Growth at the End of
Life and director of the Palliative Care others see that crying and dealing
with human emotion is what's need-
Service in Missoula, Montana.
ed. We should allow the bed to stay
Palliative care is a comprehensive
warm a while after it's empty."
approach to treating serious illness
The group's long day that began at
that focuses on the physical, psycho-
4
a.m.
at Detroit Metropolitan
logical, spiritual and social needs of
Airport ended with a solemn visit to
patients, with a goal to achieve the
the viewing platform at Ground
best quality of life possible. The lov-
Zero, followed by a boisterous meal
ing care also extends to families of
at a traditional kosher deli in
those dying.
Manhattan. There the rabbis who are
In his keynote address, Dr. Byock
more than colleagues shared knishes,
outlined the economic and societal
onion rings and friendship before
problems of a population that is liv-
ing longer but has a shrinking pool of traveling home. ❑
Chaplaincy Network
Adds Pastoral Staff
In response to a steady need for Jewish
chaplaincy services, the Jewish Hospice and
Chaplaincy Network (JHCN) is adding
trained professionals.
"At any given time, 80 Jewish people
dealing with a terminal illness are under our
care; about 50-60 are under hospice care at
one of eight local hospices," said Rabbi E.B.
"Bunny" Freedman, JHCN &rector. "To all
those people, add the extended families as
well.
"Some [patients] are members of syna-
gogues, but many are unaffiliated. At that
time in life, people want and need the sup-
port of rabbis," he said. "Now we have these
rabbis who are skilled and trained and don't
balk at it. It's changed .
how our community
approaches this time at
the end of life."
Rabbi Avie Shapiro
has joined the JHCN
fulltime as director of
pastoral outreach and
education. He's making
the transition now from
his position at
Fleischman Residence in
West Bloomfield, where
he'll continue to work
about 25. percent of his
time. Rabbi Shapiro has
been part of a group of eight local rabbis
working toward Clinical Pastoral Education
certification over the past two years.
Rabbi Hershel Klainberg, also part of
that CPE group, is dividing his workweek
between JHCN and Menorah House in
Southfield and Marvin & Betty Danto
Family Health Care Center in West
Bloomfield.
Rabbi Amy Bolton will increase her
hours from part-time to halftime as director
of pastoral care. She also will do coummu-
nity outreach and education.
Jennifer Tisdale, a rabbinic student at
Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, is
working as an intern at JHCN for her third
summer. She'll split her time with Temple
Israel.
Patient services advocate Nathan Shiovitz
works much more than his 16-hour-a-week
commitment providing backup family sup-
port and helping patients get what they
need.
As part of their continuing education, all
of these JHCN staffers participated in an
end-of-life conference June 13 in New York.
The JHCN is funded through private
donations and the Jewish Fund. ❑
— Keri Guten Cohen
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2002
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