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"The Eternal One is the Healer of the broken hearted
And the One who binds their sorrow."
A Quarterly Newsletter of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains"
NAJC:
Rabbi Yaacov Rone,
President
Rabbi Naomi Kalish
President-Elect
Rabbi Bonita E Taylor, V.P.
Rabbi Ephraim Karp
Conference
Rabbi Lowell Kronick,
Immediate Past President
Rabbi Mark Goldfarb
Newsletter Editor
Rabbi Sandra Katz, Secretary
Rabbi Charles Rabinowitz,
Journal of Jewish Spiritual
Care, Editor
Rabbi Seth Bernstein,
Cecille Allman Asekoff,
Rabbi Moe Kaprow, Treasurer
Certification
Executive Director
Vol. 22 No. 2 ~Nisan 5770/March 2010
On The Inside:
Presidentʼs Message"...........1
Treasurer's Report"..............2
Fundraising Update"............3
Certification Commission
Update"...........................3
Rabbi Howard Kummer: Aba,
Husband, Zayde,
Colleague and Friend"....4
Rabbi Howard Kummer
Azkarah"..........................6
A View Of The NAJC
Conference
From Israel"..................8-9
Hashkivenu Meditation"......10
Where's NAJC?".................12
With Our Members"............14
Chaplain Happenings"........14
New ~yrbx"........................15
NAJC Hotline".....................16
Upcoming Events"..............16
Board Members".................16
NAJC 901 Route 10 Whippany, NJ 07981 (973) 929-3168 [email protected]
Laying The
Foundations
Rabbi Yaacov Rone,
BCC, NAJC President
Message
From The
President...
Dear Chevre,
Thank you for the confidence that you
have placed in me by asking me to act on your
behalf as president of the NAJC. I am honored
to serve with such talented officers and
members, and you can be assured that our
goal is to serve each of you to the best of our
collective abilities in such a way as to
contribute to the betterment of NAJC.
As we are now in the weeks leading up to
Pesach, I am reminded of the importance of
preparation to celebrate this chag to the fullest;
likewise the value of planning and
groundwork to further the goals of our
organization cannot be understated. Just as it
is not enough for our families to simply
gather for a seder, neither is it enough for us
to gather for an annual conference without
any foundations having been laid throughout
the year.
This is one of the reasons we have
embarked upon a major overhaul of our
website under the guidance of Stephen
Roberts. We have engaged a professional, Dan
Federman, whose resume includes work for
Coca Cola and some major motion pictures.
Together with our webmaster, Sam Seicol, we
Continued on pg. 2
NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010!
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President's Message, continued
hope to present a new face to all of you shortly.
Our President-Elect, Naomi Kalish, is leading us in planning several Y’mei Iyun around
the country that we hope will provide opportunities for learning and growth as well as keep
you connected with each other.
Sheila Segal will continue to coordinate the Chaplains in Crisis program so that if any one
of us should find ourselves in need, we can be in touch with her and her colleagues.
We do not wish to undertake more than we can handle but do wish to continue to grow
and serve you. Please do call or email me with your suggestions and comments.
And to each of you and your loved ones, a Chag Pesach samayach v’kasher.
Rabbi Yaacov Rone
Rabbi Yaacov Rone
Treasurer's Report
Rabbi Moe Kaprow, NAJC Treasurer
We all know that we are living in difficult economic times and NAJC, your organization
is no exception. I am happy to report that because of the conservative fiscal approach the
Officers and Board have taken with the budgeting process, NAJC remains fiscally viable,
able to fulfill its mission and able to continue its commitment to strengthening and being the
voice of Jewish chaplaincy. This has only been possible with the support of our dedicated
membership.
We are close to the end of our third fiscal quarter and still have several members, both
certified and regular, who have not yet paid their dues or made other arrangements with us.
If you fall into this category, please help us to help you by remitting your dues to the
National office as soon as possible or contacting me at [email protected] to make other
arrangements.
A hearty Yasher Koach to all who have supported our various fundraising efforts. It is
not too late to help us continue to succeed. Opportunities remain by donations to our
general fund, to the Chaplains Emergency Fund, or to the Kummer Fund for educational
outreach. Also, solicitation of new members, professional, corporate, or institutional, is a
great way to help us meet our financial goals.
All of your Officers and Board members are eager to help you. Please let us know what
we can do for you.
Kol tuv,
Rabbi Moe Kaprow
Rabbi Moe Kaprow
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Who’s Minding the Pot?
Rabbi Judith Edelstein, Chair, Fundraising Committee
What excitement was generated by our virtual Mishloach Manot greeting! The NAJC raised $2,005,
and no one consumed an additional calorie. Talk about mitzvot! In addition, the office received a
number of thank you emails from grateful participants. It is our intention to provide the same
opportunity for Rosh Hashanah greetings, so begin compiling your email lists now.
We are currently in the process of finalizing a grant proposal for capacity building – that means
enhancing our ability to upgrade the NAJC administrative infrastructure with additional staff and
programs to serve all of us. We are requesting foundation support in order to hire a part time
Marketing and Development specialist, who will professionalize and expand our fundraising efforts
and outreach to the broader community and a technical consultant, to upgrade our website and
facilitate our ability to provide technologically advanced learning opportunities on topics germane to
chaplaincy. This proposal will be submitted to several foundations over the coming months.
At the same time we will be launching our annual Chai campaign, which you will hear more
about within the next few weeks. In order for us to stand a better chance at receiving funds from
foundations, we must demonstrate that we have a strong internal donor base. We are counting on you
to help us do that. Last year out of 600 odd members we received contributions from 63, which was a
substantial increase from the previous year when we received gifts from 39. Our goal for this year is to
get responses from 100 of you. Remember, your gift is important to us, regardless of its size.
I am thrilled to announce that Rabbi Edie Meyerson has joined the fundraising committee. We
hope that you will consider joining us. The main responsibilities are periodic brainstorming and
editing - organizational experience is a plus. Please contact me if you have any interest.
A zissin v'kasher Pesach to you and your loved ones.
Rabbi Judith Edelstein
Rabbi Judith Edelstein
NAJC Certification Commission Update
Rabbi Seth L. Bernstein, D.Min., Chair, Certification Commission
At our last Conference, members of N.A.J.C. were given the opportunity on Sunday, January 10, to
hear about proposed revisions to the Certification Handbook and Application and to ask questions
about the certification process. The Commission is in the process of finalizing version five of the
Handbook and Application. The commission is also discussing matters pertaining to equivalencies.
Four full Members of N.A.J.C. have expressed their desire to go before certification committees in
June. Please keep in mind that if you are a student member or affiliate and have completed four units
of C.P.E., or are in the process of completing four units—and you are interested in Board Certification,
you must be a full Member of N.A.J.C. for one year before beginning the application process. Should
you have any question regarding board certification, please feel free to contact the Certification
Commission or me.
Rabbi Seth L. Bernstein
Rabbi Seth Bernstein
NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010!
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Rabbi Howard Kummer: Aba, Husband, Zayde,
Colleague and Friend
Rabbi Judy Kummer
My dear colleagues, family members and friends,
I want to thank you for this extraordinary evening of honoring my father, Rabbi Howard
Kummer, zichrono livracha - for some of us an Aba, husband, Zayde; for others, a colleague and
friend.
First, a few thoughts from my family: there is no question that my father would have been
thrilled at the honor being paid to him tonight. The fact that so many people think of him with such
fondness and respect, this long after he is gone, is striking. He would also have been delighted to
see how this organization has grown and flourished, and to note the very high caliber of work its
members do. Knowing my father, as many of you did, we in his family have no doubt also that he
would have wanted to go out and have a drink, to raise a l’chaim, with all of you.
We also want to thank people for the many generous donations you have made to the Rabbi
Howard Kummer memorial fund.
I am in an unusual position for a daughter, first in having followed in my father’s footsteps by
training for the rabbinate, and then in following my father into the more specialized work of Jewish
chaplaincy. As such, I have been working for the past 8 years in one of the positions he held, serving
as Executive Director of the Jewish Chaplaincy Council of Massachusetts. My father made some
deep connections through his work, and even now, 10 years after his death, it is a rare week when I
don’t cross paths with someone who knew him, who worked with him or who benefited from his
work, and who seek me out to tell me how very much my father had meant to them. These are
experiences that the other members of my family may not share, and so I share the fact, and the
meaning, of these interactions with all of you now. If I didn’t know before the importance of our
relationships in this life, I have learned it from these experiences – and I have also come to
understand the truth of the mishnaic teachings on the extraordinary value of a good name. While
my Aba was not a believer in life after death, I have learned that there are non-literal ways of
thinking about this concept, and the crown of a good name really can shine on, even beyond the end
of a life.
In my work at the Jewish Chaplaincy Council of Massachusetts, I have a sense that my father
left fairly big shoes to fill. As the Executive Director of the JCCM, I feel at times like I am helping
bring some of his visions, now my own, into reality. He had stressed professional training and
credentialing, and the JCCM board deserves tremendous credit for developing a staff of CPEtrained and board-certified chaplains; as of yesterday, we just had our third of seven chaplains on
staff become board certified. (Yes!) I found myself telling Katy Allen, this newly-certified chaplain,
“you are a part of my father’s dream come true!” -- an odd statement to make, but a truthful one.
When my family went to find a pasuk, a Biblical phrase to engrave on my father’s footstone, I
found myself thinking of my father’s hands, and of how much good work he had done in the
Continued on pg. 5
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Rabbi Howard Kummer, cont.
world. Ultimately, we settled on a phrase from the book of Job: “Ma’asay yadav bay-rachta; You have
blessed the work of his hands.”
I don’t know how many of you know this, but my father was a fixer, and he really enjoyed
fixing things, using his carpentry skills mostly on our Cape house and his electrical and plumbing
skills wherever they were needed. My mother has recently moved out of the house she and my dad
lived in since 1968, and just prior to this, last Pesach she had to call the plumber in, since the leftover
matzah meal had done to the house plumbing the same thing matzah usually does to human
plumbing. [What a grind!] The plumber, who had known my father, peered under the sink and let
my mother know that it was clear to him just who it was who had done the “creative” decades-old
plumbing work underneath – and that, like much of my father’s handiwork, while unorthodox, that
plumbing would likely have held for a good long time, if not for the appearance of this fateful
matzah meal.
As a fixer, my dad also used his hands, used the work of his hands, to bring healing into this
world. From his early days in the rabbinate when I remember him bridging communities through
interfaith dialogue and being part of an effort to help folks from different backgrounds understand
how differently each might look at the world, to his activism in the civil rights movement and his
participation in the march on Selma, my dad had a sense of wanting the world he would leave
behind be better off than it was when he first arrived. His work in the chaplaincy world fit neatly
into this overarching effort; he was able to join his affability, his love of people and of what our
family calls a “good schmooze” with a vision that thru interactions, with skilled and capable
intervention, healing can happen. And much healing did happen, through my father’s own work
and through the efforts of the many people with whom he worked.
A few thoughts as I close:
Years ago, at an NAJC convention, I was pointed to as a living testament to my father’s work. It
was an honor to have been identified as such, but it felt then, and it still feels today, as if that was
not a wide-enough reaching statement. The many chaplains present here tonight, who are doing the
challenging and very rewarding work of chaplaincy, and who either have trained or are training to
do this work in the most professional way possible you, too, are living testaments to my father. My
family is very grateful for your wonderful healing labors, as is the Jewish community, who are on
the receiving end of this high caliber professional service. Just as we ask for blessing on the work of
my father’s hands, we ask that the work of your hands be blessed as well.
And let us say Amen.
Rabbi Judy Kummer
Rabbi Judy Kummer
NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010!
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Howard Kummer: An Azkarah
Rabbi Zahara Davidowitz-Farkas
Some thoughts and recollections about our friend . . .
Howard was a cliché – but a cliché of the highest order. He embodied and lived the words, “still
waters run deep.”
Howard’s quiet gentleness and calm was supported underneath by the energy of strongly running
waters which humbly recreated, refigured, and reshaped their foundation – the rocks and earth and life
over which these waters ran.
So was the case with Howard. Kind and rich in unassuming wisdom – his observations, piety, and
love rang out with the clarity of a soul unencumbered by the weight of its own importance. Howard was
a dedicated mensch, working patiently toward a vision of tikkun olam and tikkun nefesh – a repairing and
making whole of the world in which we live and of the relationships within it.
As the water touches the rock and moves it, so did Howard touch us, and move us forward toward
who we are and what we have become today.
For those who don’t know, Howard was born in Wallingford Connecticut in 1931. It was fun to
discover that he was a natural athlete – an All-State basketball player no less. Good practice, I figure, for
the leadership roles he was going to fill later in the Jewish world.
Howard graduated from Wesleyan University, was ordained at JTS in 1960, and got a masters in
Social Work from Boston College in 1970.
After his ordination, Howard began his career-long involvement in chaplaincy by joining the United
States Navy and serving in Pearl Harbor as the Jewish chaplain for the entire Pacific Armed Forces. The
depth of this position was brought powerfully home to me on my trip here to Boston when the captain
of our plane announced that ours was a special flight honored with the task of bringing home the body
of a 20 year old Marine killed in Iraq. It is hard to even imagine what Howard, and our NAJC military
chaplains, have been called upon to do.
Howard became involved in the civil rights movement, and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., in Selma, Alabama in January 1965, two days after the “Bloody Sunday” confrontation between civil
rights protesters and Alabama police.
And then, -- Howard did all those things that one might expect a nice Jewish boy from Wallingford
Connecticut to do – he worked with Jewish Philanthropies of Boston as a social planner, served as
Director of American Jewish Congress for its New England Region, and was Executive Director of the
Greater Framingham Jewish Federation.
In 1981, Howard became the spiritual leader of Temple Ezrath Israel in Malden, Massachusetts.
Apparently, he knew he had arrived when he realized he had moved from being "our young rabbi” to
“our rabbi” to “our beloved rabbi.” We know how much work that took!
Howard entered the period in his career that brought him into our lives as an NAJC colleague. As
the Executive Director of the Jewish Chaplaincy Council of Massachusetts from 1982 to 1998, he was
responsible for the placement, supervision and training of Jewish chaplains in area hospitals, institutions
and nursing homes.
He became a founding member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains, and was our
President from 1995 to 1999. Howard was a visionary who strove to professionalize the role of the
pastoral caregiver, and to establish training and certification programs. His still and gentle waters
pushed hard and moved us past our comfort zone. Almost in spite of ourselves, the NAJC began to
grow up under his tutelage.
And Howard, bless him, did so with humor and a sense of fun.
Continued on pg. 7
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Azkarah, continued
While he and I were both involved in the NAJC leadership, we would be on the phone together a lot.
When the phone rang, my husband, Lou, was invariably the one who got to it first. The first words Lou
heard were – “Hi! – this is the nudnick from Boston!” So Howard forever became the “nudnick from Boston”
in our house – creating a roomful of smiles whenever the phone rang and we knew it was him.
Many of us here have fond memories of having an NAJC “meeting” during conferences – in the hotel
bar. We laughed for hours with Howard as our mentor. I’m sure he’d be pleased to know that we still raise
a glass in his honor as we continue the annual tradition.
It was during one of these sessions that Howard and I discovered that we both loved camping and
while we were swapping some of those “you’d never believe what happened” kind of stories, I discovered
a part of Howard I could not have guessed about. I already knew that he loved to work with his mind and
his heart, but until that moment, I did not know that he also loved to create with his hands. Howard
respected the independence and well-earned sweat that is built up by doing a job yourself and doing it
well. He built his family a home on Cape Cod. From it developed his beloved and renowned 11th
commandment: Thou shalt not hire a plumber.
Howard was always teaching, guiding, questioning, wondering – the supporter of strengths and the
strengthener of weaknesses – I suppose that in some ways he was my mentor. He believed in me when I
didn’t believe in myself.
I will never forget one very cold blustery winter day standing with him on a busy street corner in the
middle of Manhattan. We were talking about CPE and what a program with a yiddishe neshama might look
like. He knew that I was already beginning to develop such a thing as part of an internship program for
HUC students. Howard was a visionary when it came to clinical training drawn from a Jewish mindset and
context. He believed with all his heart that it was possible to create such a thing, and to practice it well.
Howard lived as Rabbi Tarfon taught: The day is short, the task is great, the workers are sluggish, the
reward is bountiful, and the master is insistent! You are not obligated to finish the task, but neither are you
free to abandon it.
Howard and I talked for a long time and he challenged me to step up to the plate and to take my
passion for “Jewish CPE” seriously. His still waters ran deep and the nudnick from Boston made sure I
remembered that I was not free to abandon my passion. The rest, I guess, is history.
I know we talked on that street corner for a long time because the sun began to darken, and my toes
were frozen by the time I finally got back to work – very, very late.
Howard was a passionate lover of “olam ha’zeh” – this world, this life. He was not rehearsing for the
world to come. He lived here, with us, in the present, real-time without apology.
I know Nancy and the rest of the family will probably cringe when I say this, but, to me, his car was a
tangible reflection of just that.
Howard’s car, shall we say, was -- well lived-in. To me, it was not “messy” -- it was filled with the stuff
of life. And life is disordered – messy -- by definition. He had integrity.
Howard was a creator. A creator of things and of relationships: of homes and of lives. Howard
understood from his soul out, that the relationship of all things is God’s most creative gift.
Howard was also a healer. He offered a love and concern that moved past his simple giving of it. His
was a compassion that invited people to care and love each other, as well as themselves.
Howard was our friend and we loved him for it. I loved Howard then, and I love him still.
Z’ichrono L’ivracha. May his memory be as a blessing, his belovedness as a benediction.
Rabbi Zahara Davidowitz-Farkas
Rabbi Zahara Davidowitz-Farkas
NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010!
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NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010
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Attending A Professional Conference
By Dr. Pnina Gutman–Frish
Attending a professional conference is usually an educational and enriching experience. To
participate in a well-organized and stimulating professional conference that includes meetings with
experienced professionals and scholars is also a very moving experience. Indeed this is the type of
encounter that I had at the NAJC conference on spiritual care in Boston in January.
Spiritual care is a new field for me and it has recently become one of my areas of responsibility as
director of institutional services in JDC-ESHEL, Israel. JDC-ESHEL the Association for the Planning and
Development of Services for the elderly in Israel is engaged in thinking, initiating, planning and
developing programs for the elderly population in the community and institutions throughout Israel.
JDC-ESHEL has built and established –20 long-term care institutions and 172 Day Care Centers, 120
Local Associations for the Elderly and 248supportive communities. Most of JDC-ESHEL's efforts have
been devoted to meeting the functional, social, emotional and economic needs of the elderly.
Today with an established network of services running efficiently, JDC-ESHEL can focus more
attention to the quality of life of Israel's old people. In recent years, the medical profession has succeeded
in its efforts to extend life expectancy in Western countries, in general and in Israel specifically. However,
long life alone without increased quality of life is not sufficient.
The integration of spiritual care services in old age homes throughout Israel aims to provide new
options to improve the quality of life and offer the residents of the Homes a special form of care based on
patience, tolerance, support, listening and understanding.
Spiritual care in Israel today is being operated in several hospitals and by a number of associations
established specifically for the purpose of developing and expanding spiritual care services and their
availability to the public. A network of organizations dealing with spiritual care was established in Israel
in order to promote the recognition and accreditation of spiritual caregivers. There is still a long way to
go but there is a feeling by all those involved in the field that spiritual care will soon be recognized as an
integral part of work with the elderly and the ill.
As a newcomer in the field, the Conference in Boston gave me a glimpse into the rich and fascinating
world of Jewish chaplaincy- a world that combines knowledge and proficiency of Jewish sources, a
wealth of professional knowledge and a love and passion for giving this special spiritual support to
others. It was apparent that all involved love what they do and have a vision, and a mission, and a great
deal of sympathy and compassion to all those in need of assistance.
I met interesting people from all branches of Judaism, with varying religious outlooks but united by
their love of humankind and their commitment to a common cause.
The main sessions were fascinating: the Jew who converted to Islam described her spiritual care
based on specific Islamic principals, Professor Greenstein shared the experience of raising a child with
special needs and Rabbi Halper shared his philosophical theories. There were also open workshops
which allowed the participants to share their professional experience. It is important to mention the
special contribution of Mrs. Cecille Asekoff who coordinated the whole conference professionally and
efficiently. Cecil made me feel at home from the first moment I arrived, took her time to make
introductions, and in fact "adopted" me and made sure that all my needs were met for the duration of the
conference.
After the conference I felt that this fascinating experience of meeting with professionals and attending
lectures and workshops, has equipped me with knowledge and a greater understanding of the field of
spiritual care which will help me to expand and develop these types of services for Israel's elderly.
Dr. Pnina Gutman–Frish
Dr. Pnina Gutman–Frish
JDC-ESHEL
Israel
NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010!
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Hashkivenu Meditation
Rabbi Nadia Siritsky, MA, MSSW, BCC
I invite you to
settle in comfortably
close your eyes
and take a deep breath in
hold it
and slowly release it
breathing in
feeling it fill
your lungs and your body
with energy and light
and exhaling
letting it go
as we allow ourselves to experience
the hashkivenu evening prayer
Hashkivenu Adonai Eloheinu leshalom
Bring us rest Adonai our God,
as we exhale
help us to find release
peace
as we exhale
help us to let go of this day
that has given way to night
to let go
of the past
of the fears
the angers
the hurts
the tears
the memories that hold us back
the words and ideas that we allow to define us
veha’amindenu Malkeinu lechayim
and rise us up
Eternal Power
to life
as we breathe in help us to feel
your energy and life force
filling us
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ufros aleynu sukat shlomechah
spread over us
Your Sukkah
Your shelter
Your peace
spread light and safety
faith and hope
all around us and within us
Eternal God
be our safe haven
when we breathe in
and feel Your light crest within us
help us to know that we are home
in Your arms
embraced
loved beyond anything we have ever experienced
we carry you within our hearts
a tabernacle of Your peace
we live our lives in homage to You
vetaknenu b’etzah tovah milfanecha
guide us with Your wisdom
with each breath
help us to slow down
to go deeper and deeper into our core
to find You
the light within
the answers that we seek
and help us to live our lives
in alignment with Your Truth
may we recognize every day
to be filled with Your Torah
vehoshiaynu l’maan sh’mechah
save us for Your Name’s sake
Your Name is Yah
the sound of breath
the whisper of spirit
brushing gently against heart when we open
ourselves to the pulse of life
which fills us and connects us to all that lives
then we find salvation
liberation
Continued on pg. 11
NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010
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Hashkivenu Meditation, continued
this world ceases to overwhelm
for all is illusion
there is only One True Reality
Yah
You are the Eternal and Abiding Center
that animates everything
only You are real and enduring
when we recognize this
we have become free
vehagen ba’adenu
protect us
watch over us
shield us help us to remember
that we are never alone
You are always with us
may this knowledge strengthen us
as we seek repentance
as we breathe in your loving forgiveness
uvtzel knafecha tastirenu
in the shadows of your wings you hide us
shelter us
grant us refuge
breathing in
seeking You out
exhaling
relaxing into Your embrace
ki beyadchah nefesh kol chai
for in Your hand are the souls of all the living
beyadchah afkid ruchi
in Your hand I entrust my spirit
in the midst of chaos and wonder
questions and confusion
i exhale
i give myself over to You
Eternal Source
Ultimate Reality
ki El shomreynu umatzileynu atah
for You, Adonai, are our protector
NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010!
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our refuge and shade
lightness atonement forgiveness
fills us soothes us heals us
ki El melech chanun verachum atah
for You, Adonai, are filled with
mercy and compassion
tenderness and love
with each breath
You fill us
with Your radiant energy
light
peace
ushmor tzeytenu uvo’enu
watch over our comings and goings
every step that we take
You strengthen
steady our feet
deepen our resolve
lechayim leshalom
for life and peace
with You by our side
we follow Your path
and You fill our days with blessing
me’atah ve’ad olam.
from now and forever more
You are always by our side
enfolding us
embracing us
alighting our steps
baruch atah Adonai
blessed are You, Adonai
You are blessed above all else
shomer amo yisrael l’ad
watch over us and protect us forever
Rabbi Nadia Siritsky
Rabbi Nadia Siritsky
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Where's NAJC?
Yaacov Rone newly installed
NAJC President
SCC Meeting seated (l-f): Karen Pugliese (NACC), Brian Walton
(CAPPE), Doug Kellough (CAPPE), Doug Ronsheim (AAPC),
Barbara Brumleve (NACC), Pat Appelhans (APC)
Standing: Cecille Asekoff, Yaacov Rone, Sue Wintz (APC),
David Johnson (APC), David Lichter (NACC), Teresa Snorton
(ACPE), Bill Scrivener (ACPE), Carol Pape (APC)
Seth Bernstein-certification chair,
presenting newly certified members
Shimon Hirschhorn receiving the Chaplain of the Year Award
from the NYBR
Stanley and Cecille Asekoff
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NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010
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Where's NAJC?
Israeli delegation members: P'nina Gutman, Adi Samson,
with Cecille Asekoff and Teresa Snorton.
Barbara Speyer and Sheila Segal
Myrna Matsa, Charles Rabinowitz
Family of Howard Kummer l”z, Cecille Asekoff and Yaacov Rone
Cary Kozberg with Gary Lavit
and helpful wait-staff.
NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010!
Newly Installed NAJC Board Members: L-R: Judith Edelstein,
Judy Kummer, Nadia Siritsky, Josh Zlochower,
Shimon Hirschhorn, Daniel Coleman
In front: Sandy Bogin, Allison Kestenbaum
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With Our Members
bwj lzm
Rabbi Lowell Kronick, MAHL,
BCC, on being selected
Chaplain Of The Year by the
Rabbinical Council of
America.
Mazal tov to Rabbi Joe and
Ashira Ozarowski on the
birth of a granddaughter,
Nachala Sarah, born to
Rabbi Shalom and Bryna
Ozarowski of Alon Shvut,
Israel.
$rbX ym
Rabbi Lorraine Heller, Chavah
bat Maryaseh, who is
recovering from eye
surgery
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Rabbi Jon Cutler has been
promoted to the rank of
Captain in the Chaplain
Corps of the United States
Navy on Feb. 21st. Jon is
only the second Navy
Jewish Chaplain to hold that
rank.
Rabbi Robert Tabak’s article
entitled “The Emergence of
Jewish Health Care
Chaplaincy: The
Professionalization of Spiritual
Care,” has been accepted for
publication in The American
Jewish Archives Journal.
Tsvi Landau, whose father-inlaw Melvin Landau's
(father of Julie Landau)
funeral was on March 3rd.
Heidi Waldman, whose brother
John Simmons entered
eternity on January 30th
Rabbi Moe Kaprow will be
delivering the opening
prayer at the Florida House
of Representatives.
Joe Ozarowski whose father,
Oscar “Uszer” Ozarowski,
entered eternity on March
18th.
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Chaplain
Happenings
Dr. Gail Wallen participated in
the National Prayer Day
breakfast at Davis Monthan
Air Force Base in Tucson,
Arizona.
Deena Gordon whose husband
Rabbi William (Bill) Gordon
(NAJC, BCC, Retired)
entered eternity on
February 2nd.
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Rabbi Ben Lanckton will
receive the Rabbinic
Leadership Award at the
Jewish Theological
Seminary Boston Dinner of
Ideas, an annual fundraiser
for JTS, to be held at the
Gann Academy in Waltham,
MA on April 13. Larry Heimer became a
certified CPE supervisor/
diplomate with the College
of Pastoral Supervision and
Psychotherapy.
We acknowledge and
recognize the following who
received Board Certification at
the NAJC Conference in
Boston:
Rabbi Katy Allen,
Wayland, MA
Chaplain Hali Diecidue,
Boston, MA
Rabbi Aaron Lever,
Tampa, FL
Rabbi Edith Meyerson,
New York, NY
Rabbi Bonnie Steinberg,
New Hyde Park, NY
Share your life’s events by helping others! Donate to the
Rabbi Howard Kummer Fund
Donations to the Rabbi Howard Kummer Memorial
Fund for Pastoral Education may be made in honor of or
in memory of a friend or loved one. Contact the office for
more information. 973-929-3168
NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010
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Chaplain Happenings, cont.
Dr. Gail Wallen, manager of the
Holocaust Survivor Program
at JFCS, Tucson, hosted
General Gero Schachthoefer,
Commander of German
Forces in The United States
and Canada. General
Schacthoefer spoke to the
Survivors and members of
the Jewish Community on the
occasion of Kristallacht.
Gail has been working with
the German military liaison
officers at Fort Huachuca
Army Post since 2003. The
German officers meet with
Survivors, participate in Yom
HaShoah commemorations at
the Fort and host a meal for
the Survivors during the Yom
HaShoah commemoration at
the Fort. Fort Huachuca is the
training center for the Army's
Military Intelligence
Program.
NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010!
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We acknowledge and recognize
some of the many
accomplishments of Rabbi Sol
Schiff:
Sol received an achievement
award from Brooklyn
College in October, 2009
He received the Papal Medal
in October, 2008 from
Pope Benedict XVI
He delivered an invocation
prayer in the US
Congress in June, 2009.
He was elected Chairman of
the Holocaust Memorial
Committee which built a
memorial on Miami
Beach.
Sol wrote an article for a
Kristallnacht
commemoration at Barry
University, a Catholic
University.
He was appointed as liaison
between the Catholic and
Jewish communities
arranging many details
for an historic meeting
with the late Pope John
Paul II at the Miami Art
Museum in Sept. 1987.
Sol has been recognized in
the Miami Herald for his
work with the Holocaust
Memorial Committee and
his outreach to the
Muslim community
when a Mosque
desecrated.
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We Welcome These
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Members:
Rabbi Michael Kramer
from Newark, DE
Affiliates:
Margo Heda
Fair Lawn, NJ
Rabbi Benjamin Katz
Topanga, CA
Rabbi Yonaton Pronman
East Elmhurst, NY
Student Affiliates:
Marion Hamermesh
Wilmington , DE
Mary Newman
Stamford, CT
Kara Tav
New York, NY
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NAJC
HOTLINE
The NAJC hotline is
available for chaplains needing
peer support during stressful
times.
Our hotline chaplain is Sheila
Segal, BCC. She can be reached at
610-668-8069 or
[email protected].
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June 7, 2010
Submit all materials in electronic
format (Word Document or RTF)
to the editor:
Rabbi Mark B. Goldfarb
[email protected]
Please Note
These
Upcoming
Events:
Kenes on Spiritual Care in
Jerusalem, Israel:
May 4th and 5th, 2010
For More Info Contact
Cecille Asekoff, 973-929-3168
[email protected]
NAJC Conferences:
January 16-19, 2011 in
Scottsdale, AZ
January, 2012 in Cleveland, OH
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The 2010-2011 Officers, Board & Committees
Rabbi Yaacov Rone
Pittsfield, MA &
Palm Springs, CA
rbyaacov@
hotmail.com
(646) 319-4524
President
Rabbi Naomi Kalish
Hoboken, NJ
naomi.kalish@
gmail.com
(201) 892-9956
President Elect
Rabbi Bonita E Taylor
Newsletter Deadline:
F
New York, NY
[email protected]
(212) 644-1111 ext 221
Vice President
Rabbi Moe Kaprow
Winter Springs, FL
[email protected]
(407) 415-3322
Treasurer
Rabbi Sandra Katz
Rochester, NY
ravsandra@
hotmail.com
(585) 427-7760 x 6364
Secretary
Rabbi Lowell Kronick
Virginia Beach, VA
[email protected]
[email protected]
(757) 728-7112
Immediate Past Pres.
Rabbi Ephraim Karp
Beechwood, OH
Rabbi Seth Bernstein
Worcester, MA
Templesinaiworcester
@msn.com
(508) 755-2519
Certification
Commission
Cecille Allman
Asekoff
Whippany, NJ
[email protected]
(973) 929-3168
Executive Director
Rabbi Shimon
Hirschhorn
Riverdale, NY
shirschhorn@
hebrewhome.org
(718) 581-1416
Chaplain Allison
Kestenbaum
San Francisco, CA
[email protected]
(917) 744-3819
Conference Co-Chair
Rabbi Judy Kummer
Rabbi Sandy Bogin
Newton, MA
[email protected]
(617) 877-4666
White Plains, NY
[email protected]
(914) 864-5160
Rabbi Myrna Matsa
Meterie, LA
Dvora Corn
Jerusalem, Israel
[email protected]
[email protected]
(228) 229-9480
011-972 (0)
Disaster Response
52-529-1333
Rabbi Michael
Va'ad Hanhala
Schorin
Skokie, IL
Rabbi Daniel
Coleman
michael.schorin@
cje.net
(914) 834-2880
New York, NY
[email protected]
(516) 562-4011
Rabbi Sam Seicol
Rabbi Meryl Crean
Brookline, MA
[email protected]
(617) 738-6987
Webmaster
Media, PA
[email protected]
(610) 353-7660 x 220
Rabbi Judith Edelstein
New York, NY
[email protected]
Fundraising
Rabbi Nadia Siritsky
Philadelphia, PA
[email protected]
(502) 299-7184
[email protected]
Rabbi Kenneth Zisook
Rabbi Lorraine Heller
(216) 403-4002
Chicago, IL
New York, NY
Chair, Conference
[email protected]
loraineheller@hotmail.
Commission
(312) 860-4645
com
Rabbi Joshua
(310) 936-1636
Zlochower
North Wales, PA
jzlochower@abramson
center.org
(215) 371-1818
NAJC Newsletter Nisan 5770/March 2010