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Phyllis Dvora Corn, MSc., on Israeli Chaplaincy
The Emergence of Spiritual Care Training and Practice in Israel
Israel, the spiritual center for many faiths, has long been a place for healing and renewal. The land, the culture and the history offer a wellspring of touchstones at which those who are in pain or suffering may find solace and inspiration. It is with this back drop that a modern initiative, funded primarily by UJA-Federation of New York, has emerged to address, formalize and advance the provision of spiritual care services in the Holy Land.
While it is known that supporting the ill, weak and despairing has occurred since biblical times, the modern State of Israel has been without formal guidelines or training programs for chaplaincy or pastoral care. A shift in this position began in 2004 when the UJA Federation of New York committed to embark on an initiative to develop spiritual care in Israel. In March of 2005, The National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC) and the UJA held a first-ever Du-Siach (Dialogue) Conference for Spiritual Care, in Jerusalem. This meeting of professionals from the US and throughout Israel planted “tmicha ruchani,” the Hebrew term for pastoral training, on the Israeli landscape.
Since that time spiritual care has gradually become a component of service delivery in healthcare institutions and community settings. A range of training programs have emerged that include Hatomechet—a volunteer program for end of life and bereavement offered by Life’s Door-Tishkofet and Beit Natan organizations; B’Ruach—a training and care program based in the oncology department of Shaarei Zedek Hospital; Mezorim, a pastoral training program at Hebrew Union College; and the Schechter Institute, which offers CPE training in collaboration with the NAJC. Continuing educational and enrichment programs for clergy, medical and allied health professionals, such as workshops offered by Life’s Door-Tishkofet, provide an opportunity for professionals to integrate spiritual care practices into their existing repertoire of caring. The Annual Spiritual Care Conference for Professionals (sponsored by the Joint Distribution Committee-Eshel, NAJC, Life’s Door-Tishkofet and the UJA), now in its second year (May 19-20, 2008), was an outgrowth of the original Du-Siach and has attracted hundreds of caring professionals throughout Israel.
Spiritual care and healing programs can now be found in several hospitals, long-term care settings, hospices, community centers, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs and schools. Healing retreats for those who have faced illness, loss or trauma due to terror have been a powerful mechanism for growth.
The integration of the spiritual component of care has been a challenge in a country so demographically diverse. While 43% of Israeli citizens consider themselves secular [1], many have a strong connection to faith and heritage. Immigrants from a range of regions, including Africa, the former Soviet Union, France, India and North and South America come with their own concepts about coping with life challenges and the role of spirituality in these processes. This vast diversity creates a richness of ritual and practice that have been respected and cultivated in the development of spiritual care in Israel.
Global sharing has been made effortless by modern technology, and, as such, the advancement of spiritual care in Israel has benefited greatly from collaboration with organizations in North America, the United Kingdom and Europe. This dialogue takes the form of presentations at international conferences, joint research and an ongoing exchange of ideas through mentoring visits, video-tele-conferences and e-mail communication.
As the process of structuring models for training and practice of spiritual care has moved forward, there is no doubt that in a country where pain and anguish are no strangers, spiritual care is a welcome resource for hope and healing.
Footnote:
[1] Israel Bureau of Statistics (IBS) http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/?MIval=cw_usr_view_Folder&ID=141
Phyllis Dvora Corn, MSc., is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Life's Door-Tishkofet (www.lifesdoor.org) , a US- Israel non- profit organization dedicated to transforming illness and end of life from an experience of pain and anguish to one of growth for patients, families and professionals. She is a Martial and Family Therapist who began her professional life 28 years ago as an Occupational Therapist working with patients at end of life. Having developed Garden State Therapy Associates, one of the foremost rehabilitation practices in the New Jersey area (1987-97), she merged this company with Health Care Retirement Corporation and served as a Regional VP for 4 years. Since, her move to Israel in 1997, she has taken a lead role in the development of spiritual care training and delivery, particularly around illness and loss. She is a member of the UJA-Israel Spiritual Care Task Force, a board member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and the NAJC- Israel Steering Committee.
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