Finally Seeing the Emotional Toll of Lockdowns During COVID-19 on Seniors
Having been in my current job for four months now, I have finally begun to see for myself the effects that the lockdowns at the senior living facility where I work have been taking upon the residents. While I had heard from others in the building when I had firstContinue Reading
Death & Dying – Not Always Like TV & Movies
Thursday marked exactly three months of my having been in my current position as a Director of Pastoral Care at a senior living facility and one thing that has struck me is that dying and death are much different here than it is as portrayed on television and movies. ThisContinue Reading
Opening Up Slightly Provides Noticeable Improvement in Mood [Chaplaincy Chronicles]
Having mentioned previously about the surprise COVID-19 case we had at the senior living facility where I work, I have some follow-up to the story, which is that there’s good news and there’s bad news. The good news was that the case was confined to just one particular resident, andContinue Reading
Gleaning Insightful Historical Contexts About Jewish Health-Care Chaplaincy [Chaplaincy Reflection]
Having mentioned previously that I am commonly asked by chaplain colleagues “Have you done CPE?”, I would be interested to engage in CPE training…when they become available to do so, as long as my current job allows me to do so. One thing I came across that I have foundContinue Reading
Star Wars and Judaism Series Completed
This past Sunday marked the conclusion of my summer “Star Wars and Judaism” series, in which I held live Zoom sessions over the course of a dozen consecutive weeks. Taking place on Sunday evenings from late May through this past Sunday, I put together source sheets on Sefaria and heldContinue Reading
Newest Jewish Drinking Podcast Episode Published on Yalta’s Wine-Destroying [Berakhot 51b]
On the newest release amongst Jewish Drinking.com’s podcast/video episodes, Alieza Salzberg Yizhar joins me on the show to discuss a particular incident in the Talmud where Yalta destroys 400 jugs of wine (see below for text from the Babylonian Talmud on this incident). She teaches Talmud at the Conservative YeshivaContinue Reading
A Challenge With Developing Relationships [Chaplaincy Reflection]
Working with different generations in different stages in life is, as you can imagine, quite a different experience for a rabbi. Of course, there are similarities, including conversational skills and approachability, amongst others. Yet, having previously worked with those in the Millenial Generation while they were college students [and youngContinue Reading
[The First] Tisha b’Av During Coronavirus Season
I don’t know what Tisha b’Av is typically like at the senior living facility where I am presently working, but I suspect that this year’s Tisha b’Av was certainly markedly different than any that had preceded it. In my email to the department heads at the senior living facility atContinue Reading
“Star Wars & Judaism XII: The Rise of Skywalker” Zoom Session This Sunday Evening
The twelfth in a twelve-part Star Wars & Judaism series will be taking place this Sunday evening. Taking place at 8pm over Zoom, “Star Wars & Judaism XII: The Rise of Skywalker“ will incorporate scenes from The Rise of Skywalker. Comparing scenes from The Rise of Skywalker with Biblical andContinue Reading
40th Episode of the Jewish Drinking Podcast
The 40th episode of the Jewish Drinking podcast/video series was published today on the topic of Drinking During The Nine Days. A new aspect of this episode that I had not yet done in any of the previous episodes was to host a live discussion on texts, inviting folks toContinue Reading