Atonement Service 54 Synagogue Listings 59 Torah Portion 61 Helping Hands Para-chaplain volunteers make connections with seniors. SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN StaffWriter A new breed of volunteers is appear- ing among the visitors to Jewish residents living in non-Jewish care facilities throughout the tri-county area. "With hundreds and hundreds of Jewish residents living in non-Jewish settings, the para-chaplain has become the right hand of the chaplain," said Rabbi Dovid Polter, who, along with Rabbi A. Irving Schnipper, serves in the Jewish Community Chaplaincy Program (JCCP) of Jewish Home and Aging Services (JHAS) in West Bloomfield. "We may be rabbis, but we're not angels, and we can't be everywhere all the time, so we count on para-chaplains to act as a supple- ment and keep in touch with residents." But the JHAS para-chaplains are not exact- ly who you might think they are. While they include mothers with young children and a grandmother who makes weekly deliveries with cookies she bakes with her grandchildren, many come from other walks of life. "We have a couple of clinical psychologists with private practices, a retired podiatrist, (and) a Holocaust survivor in his 90s who is also a resident of a senior facility," said Shirley Jarcaig, JCCP program coordinator. And over the last couple of years, college students have joined the volunteer ranks. At 22, Brian "Boruch" Saks of Oak Park is one of 50 para-chaplains called "friendly visi- tors," volunteers who strike up caring friend- Menorah House resident council president Sid Riskin watches as ships with one or more residents of 20-25 Brian-Saks slices the challah. local non-Jewish nursing facilities. Every other week for the last two years, that I hardly have any visitors at all and he knew I Saks has paid a special visit to Sarah Gottesman at would like to have someone come visit me," said Menorah House in Southfield. While the Jewish facili- Gottesman, whose family does not live close to ty is not included in this JHAS program — Saks visits Menorah House. "I always look forward to his visits, anyway so he can see Gottesman. which I enjoy very, very much." "I first met Sarah when she lived at Elan Village," For Saks — who often comes to see Gottesman he said of the Southfield facility that closed last year. with a holiday card or birthday gift in tow — the feel- "When Sarah moved to Menorah House, I followed ing is mutual. her." "I really look forward to our visits," he said. "Sarah Saks also visits a resident at Farmington Hills Inn. brightens my day. I hope I brighten hers, too. It gives "When I was at Elan Village, Boruch found out me a warm, special feeling to be able to show other people how much I care." Saks is joined in the 4-year-old para-chap- laincy program by other college students: his brother Shlomo and Shoshanna Rose of West Bloomfield, a Wayne State University student in Detroit. So Much To Do While most JCCP para-chaplains visit one- on-one with residents, about half-a-dozen conduct Shabbat or holiday services in the facilities instead. A few, like Brian Saks do both. He's run pre-Shabbat programs and services for Menorah House residents, delivered mishloach manot (Purim packages) to various facilities on Purim and led a Passover seder at American House in Southfield. `And last week, he came and blew the sho- far for all of us," said Gottesman, who doesn't mind sharing her friend. Both Brian and Shlomo Saks have volun- teered in the JHAS Guardianship Program, helping to care for some of the 90 residents for whom JHAS is guardian. Others in the para-chaplaincy program volunteer in the monthly reminiscence pro- gram: singing old songs, playing old tunes on the piano and leading discussions and quizzes on topics and personalities from the past. "This is a smaller commitment than the others," Jarcaig said. "It can be as simple as following our outlined program or becoming involved just because you love old music." In addition to the para-chaplaincy pro- gram, JCCP also hosts middle school and high school groups. The students visit one- on-one with residents or become involved in projects. College groups have visited and delivered Passover parcels to residents. B'nai mitzvah candidates make visits to nursing care residents a mitzvah project. Making Of A Pam-Chaplain Brian Saks' penchant for volunteerism formed when he participated in a JCCP program with his Southfield- based Yeshivat Akiva high school class several years ago. "Our senior class went to various nursing homes PARA-CHAPLAIN on page 52 10/17 2003 51