Seasons for Healing:

Drawing Spiritual Resources from the Jewish Holidays

 A FULL DAY CONFERENCE for PROFESSIONALS & COMMUNITY LEADERS

Clergy, Chaplains, Social Workers, Mental Health, Medical & Jewish Healing Professionals

Keynote Speaker: Rabbi Amy Eilberg, MSW 
“The Cycle of Jewish Time and Healing”

Co-founder, Bay Area Jewish Healing Center & Co-Director, Morei Derekh Training Program for Jewish Spiritual Directors

 Holidays can be particularly difficult for people who are suffering; however, they also create a doorway through which people may seek out community and comfort.  Explore the meaning, themes and impact of the holiday cycle as a resource for helping those who are living with illness, loss, or other transitions and challenges.  

Learn about the different perspectives and modalities used by clergy, chaplains, medical, mental health, social work and Jewish healing professionals.  Build new skills and program models that can be integrated into your work with individuals, families, groups and communities.  A wide range of morning and afternoon workshops will be offered.

  Monday, November 10, 2003
8:30am-5pm
UJA-Federation of New York
130 E. 59th St. NYC

Sponsored by:
The National Center for Jewish Healing 
A Jewish Health, Healing and Recovery Program Of The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services

This conference was made possible, in part, through the generous support of UJA-Federation of New York.

Registration materials available at www.jbfcs.org

This conference follows the 16^th Annual Bikur Cholim Conference to be held at UJA- Federation of New York on Sunday, November 9, 2003.

WHY THE HOLIDAYS?
The holidays can be particularly difficult for people who are suffering or who face other challenges and transitions; however, they also create a doorway through which people may seek comfort and community.   We can respond to this need by connecting people with the rich spiritual resources found within our tradition.  Through the stories, rituals, prayers, music, images and metaphors of Jewish holidays, we can help people explore profound and universal themes - forgiveness, change, vulnerability, judgment, autonomy, joy, continuity and much more. 

WHAT IS JEWISH HEALING?
Jewish life holds a tradition of spirituality and a vision of well-being that is grounded in a deep engagement with life, a confidence in community, and a belief that sacred texts and rituals can be relevant to our modern dilemmas.  Jewish healing is the journey within this tradition to seek pathways that lead us toward a sense of wholeness, meaning and strength, even in the face of life’s greatest challenges.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

·    New skills and programs for work with individuals, families, groups and communities.

·    Different perspectives and modalities

·    Approaches to addressing the needs of special groups - the bereaved, chronically ill, elderly and mentally ill.

·    Methods to take care of yourself.

Conference Agenda

Ø 8:30 - 9:00 am                Registration and Breakfast

Ø 9:00 - 9:15 am                Greetings
Jewish Board of Family & Children’s Services
UJA-Federation of New York

Ø 9:15 - 9:45 am                Keynote Address
Rabbi Amy Eilberg, MSW
“Cycle of Jewish Time and Healing”
Co-founder, Bay Area Jewish Healing Center
Co-Director of the Morei Derekh Training Program for Jewish Spiritual Directors

Ø 9:45 - 10:45 am              Perspectives and Practices
Psychologist – Joel Ziff, EdD, Psychologist, Teacher & Author
Chaplain – Rabbi Shira Stern, MA, Director, The Jewish Institute for Pastoral Care of HealthCare Chaplaincy
Physician – Dr. Irving Kaufman, Family Medicine & Geriatrics Practice; Clinical Instructor, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Jewish Healing Writer/Teacher – Tamara Green, PhD, Founding Board Member, NCJH and contributor to “The Outstretched Arm”

Ø 11:00 am - 12:15 pm      Morning Workshops

Ø 12:30 - 1:30 pm              Networking Lunch

Ø 1:30 - 2:00 pm                Challenges and Opportunities

Rabbi David Lazar, Director of RIKMA:  Spiritual Community Leadership Training, Chaplain, Israel AIDS Task Force 

Second Speaker, TBA

Ø 2:15 - 3:45 pm                Afternoon Workshops

Ø 4:00 - 4:30 pm                Healing Circle

Morning Workshops
1.   A Slow Dance in Time: Grief and the Holiday Cycle
View the yearly cycle of Jewish holidays from the experience of bereaved Jews and explore the many opportunities for grieving and renewal.  Examine ideas, texts, music and other materials for creative programming, including already successful holiday bereavement program models.
Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub, CSW, Rabbinic Director, NCJH, The NY Jewish Healing Center, JBFCS and Myra Shendell, CSW, Bereavement Coordinator, NY Jewish Healing Center

2. Mirrors in Time: The Psycho-Spiritual Journey Through the Year
Integrating Hasidic and Kabbalistic teachings with contemporary psychotherapeutic perspectives, encounter each Holy-Day as a milestone in the process of self-reflection and ongoing adult development.  Session includes a guided meditation, providing an opportunity to explore personal and practical applications.
Joel Ziff, EdD, Psychologist and author of Mirrors in Time: A Psycho-Spiritual Journey Through the Jewish Year 

3. In the Beginning: Holidays and Healing 101
An introduction to Jewish healing, using the holidays as our case study.  Explore the spiritual content of Jewish holidays, their meanings in the lives of the individuals we serve and treat, and how we can integrate this knowledge into our practice. 
Rabbi Stephanie Dickstein, CSW, Pastoral Care Coordinator, Shira Ruskay Center and Assistant Rabbinic Director, New York Jewish Healing Center, JBFCS

 4. Turning and Returning: Healing and The Days of Awe
The High Holidays evoke a wide range of memories and feelings.  We will work with the liturgy and themes of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to mine their healing wisdom and their relevance in our work with those who are ill or bereaved.
Carol Hausman, PhD, Clinical Psychologist and Coordinator of the Washington Jewish Healing Network, Washington, DC

 5. Shalom at Any Age: The Elderly and Jewish Time
Births, deaths, disappointments, joys and layers of feelings and memory are often linked to specific times of the Jewish calendar.  Explore holiday programming, which uses a range of modalities and can facilitate healing, even from experiences long past.
Karen Frank, RN, Project SHIN (Spiritual Healing in Nursing), MetroWest Jewish Health and Healing Center MetroWest, NJ

6. Creating Community for those with a Psychiatric Illness
Explore ways to support and include this population and their families in the larger Jewish community, through a variety of innovative programs drawing on Jewish ritual, holiday observance and Jewish healing wisdom.
Rabbi Karen Landy, Spiritual Consultant, Jewish Healing Connections (JHC) and Nancy R. Smith, LICSW, Coordinator of Chaverim Shel Shalom , JHC- JF&CS, Boston

 7. This is the Bread of My Affliction
An experiential workshop using writing as a tool for finding spiritual healing throughout the Jewish year.
Tamara Green, PhD, Founding Board Member, National Center for Jewish Healing and frequent contributor to “The Outstretched Arm”, Chair, Classics Department, Hunter College

 Afternoon Workshops

 1. Teach Us to Number our Days: Hanukkah, Sukkot and More
How can we acknowledge and honor the struggles of those facing transition and loss during our seasons of celebration?  Learn a methodology, with specific examples, of how to access the healing potential of these holidays, including interactive exploration.
Rabbi Regina Sandler-Phillips, CSW, MPH, Director of Spiritual Care Programs, Sol Goldman Y of The Educational Alliance, New York

2.  Self-Care: Building A Jewish Spiritual Practice for the Holidays 
Holidays are anything but serene for Jewish professionals. Caring for those caught in the convergence of individual, family and community forces can be stressful. Uncover spiritual resources of the Jewish year for specific tools, sources and rituals to build spiritual self-care practices that nurture one’s soul.
Rabbi Toni Shy, Temple Beth Israel, Port Washington, NY and Tzvi Bilick, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Organizational Consultant, Executive Coach

3. Passover: Exploring Freedom in the Midst of Illness or Loss
On Passover a family member’s absence or illness is keenly felt.  Explore themes, stories and symbols in the Haggadah and their use with individuals and in spiritual support groups.
Carol Hausman PhD, Clinical Psychologist and Coordinator, Washington Jewish Healing Network, Washington, DC

4. The Sounds of Silence: Using Meditation and Creative Visualization
These powerful tools are used by many to relax, to come to a higher spiritual plane and to work on inner healing.  Learn basic techniques and explore ways to integrate the images and metaphors from various Jewish holidays that can be particularly helpful to those who are struggling.
Rabbi Rebecca Sirbu, Director of the MetroWest Jewish Health and Healing Center and Director of the Center for Jewish Life, JCC, MetroWest NJ and Karen Frank, RN, Project SHIN, JCC MetroWest, NJ

5. A Spiritual Slant on American Holidays
Explore ways of re-invigorating American holidays with their original spiritual meaning and purpose.  Within the context of American Jewish life, consider programmatic opportunities to celebrate and deepen the experience of Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and President's Day.
Rabbi Joy Levitt, Associate Executive Director for Programming, JCC in Manhattan

6. Through a New Lens: Looking at the Counseling Relationship
How can the themes embodied in the cycle of Jewish time enhance our dynamic understanding of the pastoral or psycho-social counseling relationship, particularly in times of illness, grief and life-transitions?
Rabbi Nancy H. Wiener, D. Min., Clinical Director, Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Center for Pastoral Counseling, HUC-JIR, NY, Author, Congregational Rabbi

7. Healing Services: Bringing Spiritual Support to the Jewish Community
Can the High Holidays be re-conceived so that people don't feel that their illness and misfortune is God's judgment?  Beginning with the challenge of the High Holidays, explore how to create monthly thematic healing services.  Discuss the purpose and pitfalls of healing services.
Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, Society for the Advancement of Judaism, NYC, and author of "A Book of Life: Judaism as a Spiritual Practice"

REGISTRATION FORM
Seasons for Healing

NAME ___________________________________________
AGENCY/INSTITUTION __________________________
ADDRESS ________________________________________
CITY  _____________ STATE  _____ ZIP CODE ________
PHONE __________________ FAX ___________________
EMAIL ___________________________________________

WORKSHOP CHOICES
Please indicate 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices for each session using the numbers indicated next to workshop description.  Every effort will be made to accommodate your first choice.

MORNING
(     )   First Choice   (      ) Second Choice   (     ) Third Choice

 AFTERNOON
(     )   First Choice   (      ) Second Choice   (     ) Third Choice

COST: $75,  $36 for Students (kosher breakfast and lunch included)

SPECIAL OFFERS

•        $60 – Early Registration, must be received by Nov. 1^st

•        Come with 4 or more people and receive the group rate of $60 per person

•        Register for the Annual Bikur Cholim Conference and pay only $90 for both.

 Space is limited.  You must pre-register.

 CEU credits pending.        ___ I will be applying for credits.   ___ Chaplaincy ___ Social Work

Amount Enclosed: ____________________________________
Make Checks payable to: JBFCS/NCJH
Master Card/Visa #___________________________________
Exp. Date_________ 
Name on Card  _______________________________________

CEU credits pending.

Send registration to:
National Center for Jewish Healing
The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services
850 Seventh Ave.  Suite #1201
New York, NY 10019
Att: K. Mavros

For more information, contact:
Susan Rosenthal, CSW
Telephone: (212) 399-2320x209
Fax: (212) 399-2475  
Email: Srosenthal@jbfcs.org

In collaboration with

Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies (AJFCA)

National Association of Jewish Chaplains

New York Board of Rabbis

UJA-Federation of New York, Jewish Spiritual Care Task Force

Conference Advisory Committee

Abi Dauber, UJA-Federation of New York ·  Ann Yerman and Roberta Robinson, Westchester Jewish Community Services · Carol Hausman, PhD, The Washington Jewish Healing Network · Evelyn Roth, FEGS/Long Island Ÿ Joan Strauss, AJFCA · Rabbi Joy Levitt, JCC in Manhattan · Rabbi Regina Sandler-Phillips, The Sol Goldman Y of the Educational Alliance · Rabbi Rebecca Sirbu, Jewish Health and Healing Center, JCC MetroWest, NJ · Rabbi Shira Stern, Jewish Institute for Pastoral Care of the HealthCare Chaplaincy · Rachel Yoskowitz, The Detroit Center for Jewish Healing, Jewish Family Services

The National Center for Jewish Healing of JBFCS is supported by generous grants from the Nathan Cummings Foundation, The Katzin Family Foundation, UJA-Federation of New York and individual contributions.