NeshamaCast

Rabbi Dr. Shira Stern, BCC, serves as Disaster Spiritual Care Manager for the American Red Cross and as ARC Division Advisor for the Northeast and Lead for Massachusetts and Northern New England.  Her ARC deployment to the 2025 LA Fires was featured in the Berkshire Eagle.  She previously appeared on NeshamaCast in Episode 2 . She served as Consulting Editor for Mishkan Refuah: Where Healing Resides. Rabbi Stern is a Past President of NAJC. Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner, BCC, serves as the senior rabbi and director of the Spiritual Care Department at Cedars-SInai in Los Angeles and as Rabbi of Knesset Israel Synagogue of Beverlywood. Among his many publications are: A Jewish Guide to Practical Medical Decision Making, Care and Covenant: A Jewish Bioethic of Responsibility, and a Guide to Observance of Jewish Law in a Hospital.   Special thanks to Henry Bernstein, Allison Atterberry and Gabe Sniman for on site technical production. About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. NeshamaCast contributor Chaplain David Balto is a volunteer chaplain at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. and Western Correctional Insitution, Maryland's maximum security prison. He coordinated the annual National Bikur Cholim Conference. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

Rabbi Gabe Kretzmer Seed serves as a Jewish chaplain in the New York City Department of Correction where he provides religious services and spiritual support primarily for Jewish inmates. He also teaches and tutors for children and adults in the community, and provides research support for a number of Jewish Studies scholars, including as a research assistant to Rabbi Irving Greenberg for his acclaimed book "The Triumph of Life: A Narrative Theology of Judaism."  Rabbi Kretzmer Seed has Rabbinic Ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and also received BA and MA degrees from The Jewish Theological Seminary – JTS—where he focused on Talmud and Midrash. Following ordination, Rabbi Kretzmer Seed completed a CPE residency at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan, where he worked in the hospital's palliative care, oncology and psychiatric units.Rabbi Mia Simring was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, in her native New York City. She also holds a certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling and has focused her rabbinic work on chaplaincy in hospitals, long term care facilities, and now, correctional facilities. She is currently serving as a Jewish Chaplain for the New York City Department of Correction, working with both pre- and post-trial detainees. Prior to her rabbinical studies, she received an undergraduate degree in East Asian Studies from Brown University, worked in Japan, and then in the Japanese Art Department at Christie's NY. Read more about her here. In the discussion, Rabbi Gabe mentions "To Walk in God's Ways," by Rabbi Joe Ozarowski, who appears on NeshamaCast, Episode 1. Rabbi Gabe also mentions his mentor, Rabbi Jo Hirschmann, BCC, who is the co-author, with Rabbi Nancy Wiener, of "Maps and Meaning: Levitical Models for Contemporary Care." This book was discussed with Rabbi Nancy Wiener on NeshamaCast, Episode 8.The story Rabbi Gabe shares in this interview of being physically assaulted appears in the book "Rikers: An Oral History," by Graham Rayman and Reuven Blau. Talmudic text discussed in interview: Ein havush matir atzmo mibeit ha'asurim--"A person in prison cannot free himself," From Tractate Berakhot 5b. Hebrew and Technical Terms: Ashrei, literally, "Happy are those," from Psalms 84:5; this verse recurs frequently in Jewish liturgy as a prelude to Psalm 145. Eliyahu HaNavi—Elijah the Prophet, regarded in Jewish tradition as the one who will herald the coming of the MessiahGet--Jewish writ of divorce, traditionally given from the husband to the wife to end the marriage. An ongoing struggle in traditional Jewish communities is the plight of Agunot (literally, "chained"), women whose marriages have ended for all practical reasons but have not received a Get from the husband to formally end the marriage, the receipt of which is necessary in order to marry someone else. Reference is made in the interview to: ORA--Organization for the Resolution of Agunot. Ha Lachma Anya--From the Passover Haggadah: "This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in Egypt..."Had Gadya—literally, “One Little Goat,” the final hymn in the traditional Seder.Halakhah--Jewish law, as derived from Rabbinic Jewish tradition in the Talmud and later Jewish codes. Halakhically--a Hebrew-English adverb referring to actions done according to Halakhah, or Jewish law. Hashgacha-Kosher supervisionHIPAA--the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act protects patient privacy in the American heath care system. It generally does not apply to the prison and jail systems.Humash--A volume comprising the five books of the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and DeuteronomyKehillah--Community, usually referring to a synagogue community. Midrash (plural: Midrashim)--a homiletical interpretation of Biblical scripture, usually referring to the Rabbinic body of literature known as THE Midrash, compiled by Rabbis over the first millennium of the common era, often reflecting ancient oral interpretations of Biblical text.Moshiach-the MessiahMotzi—The blessing over bread, traditionally said whenever eating bread but most commonly said over full loaf of bread or matzah at a Sabbath or holiday meal. Parashah--The weekly portion of the Torah/Pentateuch that is read aloud in synagogue. Sh'ma--The Jewish declaration of faith from Deuteronomy 6:4, recited morning and evening in daily liturgy. Shul--A common term for synagogueSiddur--Jewish prayer bookTeshuvah--Repentance.Tfillot--plural for T'fillah, Jewish prayer Jewish Chaplains: Register for the NAJC 2025 Conference in Skokie, IL, May 11-14, 2025.  Watch this video to learn more.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. NeshamaCast contributor Chaplain David Balto is a volunteer chaplain at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. and Western Correctional Insitution, Maryland's maximum security prison. He coordinated the annual National Bikur Cholim Conference. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

Rabbi Aaron Lever serves as Director of Spiritual Care at Menorah Life in St. Petersburg, FL. He received rabbinical ordination at the Jewish Theological Seminary and became a Board-Certified Chaplain through NAJC. He is a Reiki Master Teacher, a musician and a puppeteer.Rabbi Lever is a co-author, along with Rabbi Simcha Weintraub, of "Guide Me Along the Way: A Spiritual Guide to Surgery," Jewish Healing Center, 1998. He also wrote this article in which he references the story about Itzhak Perlman playing on three strings. Here is the same story as told by Rabbi Jack Riemer, who appears on the previous edition of NeshamaCast in this feed. There is debate as to whether the story about Itzhak Perlman and the three strings is true or apocryphal, as discussed in Snopes.com. For NAJC members and Jewish chaplains considering joining NAJC, registration is now open for the NAJC Conference, May 11-14, 2025, Skokie Illinois, at the Doubletree Hotel. Click here for more information.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. NeshamaCast contributor Chaplain David Balto is a volunteer chaplain at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. and Western Correctional Insitution, Maryland's maximum security prison. He coordinated the annual National Bikur Cholim Conference. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

Rabbi Jack Riemer is a master story teller and preacher and one of the most frequently quoted rabbis in the U.S. who artfully describes the relevance of timeless Jewish wisdom in our modern world. He is often referred to as the “rabbi's rabbi” among Jewish clergy, because he has taught and mentored so many of his colleagues.  The late Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel wrote: "Jack Riemer's words are songs of hope and faith. Listen to them as I do." Rabbi Riemer is rabbi emeritus of Congregation Beth Tikvah (now Shaarei Kodesh) in Boca Raton, Florida. He is co-author, with Rabbi Elie Spitz, of Duets on Psalms: Drawing New Meaning From Ancient Words. To inquire about an autographed copy, contact Ben Yehuda Press. Rabbi Riemer is also the author of Jewish Insights on Death and Mourning Finding God in Unexpected Places: Wisdom for Everyone from the Jewish Tradition and coeditor of So That Your Values Live On: Ethical Wills and How to Prepare Them.Rabbi Riemer's retelling of a story about Rabbi Paul Plotkin is found in Rabbi Paul Plotkin's book, The Lord Is My Shepherd: Why Do I Still Want?Here is an excerpt in which Rabbi Paul Plotkin shares in his own words the story that Rabbi Riemer refers to in the podcast.  Thank you to Rabbi Paul Plotkin for granting permission to share this excerpt. For more about Natan Sharansky, see his memoir Fear No Evil. Check out the other podcast hosted by Rabbi Ed Bernstein: My Teacher Podcast.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

David Balto is a volunteer chaplain at Washington Hospital Center  in Washington, D.C., the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington and Western Correctional Insitution, Maryland's maximum security prison.  He and his wife Naomi are actively involved in bikur cholim (care for the sick) with Bikur Cholim of Greater Washington and are co-sponsors of the annual National Bikur Cholim Conference.  David is also a volunteer for Ruach and a student in Aleph's program for spiritual direction.Rabbi Lynn Liberman, BCC, is Acting Co-President of NAJC. She works as the Jewish Community Chaplain of the Twin Cities.   Ordained in 1993 from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Lynn worked over 20 years in congregations before moving into full-time chaplaincy.   In addition to her Community Chaplain position, Lynn also works as a Per Diem Chaplain at two area Hospitals, including a Trauma One Center, and has been a volunteer Police/Fire Chaplain for 25 years.   Lynn has proudly served on the NAJC board for four years.  She and her spouse live in St. Paul, MInnesota.Click here for information on the National Bikur Cholim Conference, including links to recordings of past programs.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

Rabbi Ed Bernstein delivered the talk "Beyond Cleaning Our Room: Responsibilities and Opportunities in Honoring Our Parents As They Age" to Valley Beit Midrash on May 16, 2024. Special thanks to Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz and Alix Cramer of Valley Beit Midrash for allowing the rebroadcast of this talk on the NeshamaCast feed. ABOUT THE EVENT:The Fifth of the Ten Commandments is “Honor your father and mother.” It is one of the few commandments in the Torah that attaches a reward for its successful performance: “that your days may be long.” We might think that if we follow the command in our youth, clean our rooms and do other things that our parents ask, then we've checked that box. The reality is that honoring our parents is among the most difficult and grows in complexity as children—and their parents—age. Rabbi Bernstein explores Jewish perspectives on the responsibilities of adult children to their aging parents and the true rewards we gain in fulfilling this mitzvah.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Rabbi Edward Bernstein is a Board Certified Chaplain and serves as Chaplain for Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Boca Raton, Florida. He hosts NeshamaCast, a podcast exploring Jewish spiritual care, produced by Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also hosts My Teacher Podcast. Rabbi Bernstein edited  Love Finer Than Wine: The Writings of Matthew Eisenfeld and Sara Duker , a 2016 National Jewish Book Awards Finalist.  Rabbi Bernstein was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He served congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. Rabbi Bernstein has also served on the faculty of Camp Ramah Darom, Moishe House and the JTS Florida Office.Here is Rabbi Bernstein's presentation on VBM's YouTube channel.Here is Rabbi Bernstein's Sefaria Study Guide.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

NeshamaCast host Rabbi Ed Bernstein travels to Israel and interviews Jewish chaplains from Israel and across North America  attending a rabbinic conference in Israel.  Chaplains interviewed in this episode are, in order of appearance:  Rabbi Mary Brett Koplen, BCC, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New YorkRabbi Barbara Speyer, BCC, VA Medical Center, Los AngelesMoti Halperin, Chaplain Resident, Ichilov Hospital, Tel Aviv,  Kashouvot: The Center for Spiritual Care in Israel Rabbi Beth Naditch, BCC, ACPE, Hebrew Senior Life, BostonRabbi Naomi Kalish, PhD, BCC, ACPE, Jewish Theological Seminary, New YorkRabbi Yonatan Rudnick, Community Chaplain, Jewish Family Services, Kansas CityRabbi Miriam Berkowitz, BCC, Congregation Kol Haneshamah, Jerusalem, Co-founder of Kashouvot. During the interview with Moti Halperin, listeners can occasionally hear the voice of Rabbi Ilana Garber, Director of Global Rabbinic Development of the Rabbinical Assembly. She and Rabbi Bernstein were matched with Moti for a tour of Ichilov Hospital. Special acknowledgment to Rabbi Valerie Stessin, BCC, Director of Kashouvot and Rabbi Mira Rivera, BCC, JCC of Harlem. Rabbi Stessin planned the chaplain programming for the RA Convention, and Rabbi Rivera was a participant. See NeshamaCast feed for their full interviews with NeshamaCast. Rabbi Beth Naditch refers to the terror attack of February 25, 1996 in which JTS rabbinical student Matthew Eisenfeld and his girlfriend Sara Duker were murdered in a suicide bombing of the Number 18 Bus in Jerusalem. See the book edited by Rabbi Edward Bernstein: Love Finer Than Wine: The Writings of Matthew Eisenfeld and Sara Duker.The Nova Exhibition that is touring the US, is currently in Miami. More information here. This video discusses the agriculture crisis in the Gaza Envelope post-October 7 and the efforts of local kibbutzim to restore agriculture. Oren Barnea, who is featured in the video, spoke to the rabbinic group in December that included Rabbi Ed Bernstein and Rabbi Miriam Berkowitz.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida hosted a symposium, "Caring for Jewish Patients and Families at End of Life," on December 4, 2024. The keynote speaker was Dr. Barry Kinzbrunner, with responses from Dr. Claudio Kogan, Dr. Jessica Eichler and Rabbi Ed Bernstein. Dr. Barry Kinzbrunner, MD, FACP, is Former Chief Medical Officer, VITAS Healthcare. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine and he was ordained as an orthodox rabbi in Jerusalem, Israel in 2002. Dr. Kinzbrunner's publications include a textbook entitled “20 Common Problems in End of Life Care,” a second edition of which, under the title “End of Life Care: A Practical Guide” was published in January, 2011. As a pioneer in the development of the role of the Hospice Medical Director for Vitas, as well as for the hospice industry in general, Dr. Kinzbrunner had the opportunity to author and publish a monograph entitled “Medical Director Model” for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) in 2004. He also was an editor in a more recent AAHPM publication for Hospice Medical Directors entitled “The Hospice Medical Director Manual.” Dr. Kinzbrunner is a member of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Dr. Claudio Kogan, MD, MBE, M.Ed.,  is Director of Bioethics for Baptist Health South Florida.  Dr. Kogan is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He attended the University of Buenos Aires Medical School where he received his M.D. Dr. Kogan received his Masters of Hebrew Letters and his rabbinical ordination at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and his Master of Education from Xavier University, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He also received his Master of Medical Ethics from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Rabbi Kogan served on the Human Investigation Committee at Yale University.Rabbi Kogan served 26 for years multiple Jewish congregations in Buenos Aires, Michigan, Ohio, South Dakota, Kentucky, Florida and Texas. He is also a Mohel (certified to perform circumcisions) and a firm believer that Medicine and Religion are two sides of the same coin. Dr. Kogan is a strong advocate to combine Science and Spirituality and an activist who has traveled around the world promoting interfaith dialogue.Dr. Jessica Eichler, MD,  is Chief Hospice and Palliative Care Specialist for Boca Raton Regional Hospital. She also serves as the Associate Medical Director for Trustbridge Health and as an Assistant Professor for Florida Atlantic University, teaching all internal medicine residents on palliative care service at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Dr. Eichler earned her medical degree at Universidad Iberoamericana School of Medicine, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She completed her hospice and palliative care medicine fellowship at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She serves on the ethics committee of Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

NeshamaCast is pleased to rebroadcast this edition of the Seekers of Meaning TV Show and Podcast, hosted by Rabbi Richard Address. In this episode,  Chaplain Barry Pitegoff, BCC, of Neshama-The National Association of Jewish Chaplains, and Missy Stolfi from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention join Rabbi Address to discuss their upcoming virtual webinar, “Through a Jewish Lens,” for survivors of suicide victims. The webinar takes place Sunday, November 24 from noon to 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.This conversation focuses on the critical issue of suicide awareness and prevention within the Jewish community, featuring insights from experts on the statistics, the impact of loneliness, the role of faith leaders, and the introduction of the 988 crisis lifeline. The discussion also highlights the upcoming program, ‘Through a Jewish Lens: Hope and Healing for Suicide Loss Survivors,' aimed at providing support and resources for those affected by suicide loss.This year's program will feature recorded remarks from suicide loss survivor and mental health advocate Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-8) and Ivan Maisel, a longtime ESPN writer and author, who is also a survivor of suicide loss. The program will include live reflections and storytelling from loss survivors across the country and small group discussions.You can get more information and registration information here.TakeawaysSuicide is a multi-generational challenge affecting various demographics.Older adults face unique risks due to life transitions and isolation.Marriage can act as a protective factor against suicide.Faith leaders need more training to support those in crisis.The 988 crisis lifeline is a vital resource for mental health emergencies.Community support is essential for those grieving suicide loss.Shame and guilt often accompany suicide loss, hindering open conversations.Programs like ‘Through a Jewish Lens' provide necessary support and healing.The pandemic has exacerbated feelings of loneliness and isolation.Rabbi Richard F. Address, D.Min, is the Founder and Director of www.jewishsacredaging.com. Rabbi Address served for over three decades on staff of the Union for Reform Judaism;  first as a Regional Director and then, beginning in 1997, as Founder and Director of the URJ's Department of Jewish Family Concerns and served as a specialist and consultant for the North American Reform Movement in the areas of family related programming. Rabbi Address was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1972 and began his rabbinic career in Los Angeles congregations. He also served as a part time rabbi for Beth Hillel in Carmel, NJ while regional director and, after his URJ tenure,  served as senior rabbi of Congregation M'kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, NJ from 2011-2014.Chaplain Barry E. Pitegoff, BCC, is Staff Chaplain at Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, NY, serves as the NAJC Volunteer Webmaster (a/k/a “najcwebmaven”), and is certified by the Red Cross in Disaster Spiritual Care Services.   Chaplain Pitegoff transformed 25+ years of volunteer chaplaincy at hospices and hospitals into professional chaplaincy with a BCC from NAJC.  Chaplain Pitegoff holds a BBA in Statistics from Baruch College / CUNY, an MBA from Adelphi University, and graduate studies in Theology and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of South Florida. Chaplain Pitegoff is the Chair of the Planning Committee for “Through a Jewish Lens,” a day of virtual support for Jewish survivors of suicide loss, a project of AFSP, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Missy Stolfi, M.Ed., i is a dedicated nonprofit professional with a strong commitment to mental health advocacy. Currently serving as the Area Director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in the Capital and North Country regions of New York, she focuses on promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention initiatives.With a Master's degree in Higher Education Administration from the University at Buffalo, Missy is passionate about social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and community engagement. She is also an enthusiastic volunteer and a proud aunt, known for her love of animals and support for local sports teams, including the Buffalo Bills and New York Yankees.In addition to her role at AFSP, Missy serves on the board of Compass House, an emergency shelter and resource center, further demonstrating her commitment to community service and support for vulnerable populations. Click here for more on Jewish Sacred Aging and here for Jewish Sacred Aging.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

NAJC, as the Jewish chaplaincy organization, takes seriously our role in advocating for and supporting our membership, as well as in educating those in our field on how to identify and respond to antisemitism, particularly in light of its rise since October 7, 2023. Recently, NAJC hosted a panel discussion on "Defining and Combating Antisemitism in the Chaplaincy Workplace"  that was held on September 17, 2024.  Rabbi Rebecca Kamil, BCC, Vice President of NAJC, moderated the event that was held online before a live online audience. Panelists were: Scott Richman, ADL New York-New Jersey Region Director; Michelle Stravitz, CEO of American Jewish Medical Association;  and Steven Hunegs, Executive Director of Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.   About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

Rabbi Valerie Stessin is the Director of Kashouvot: The Center for Spiritual Care in Israel. A native of France, Valerie earned a BA from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, majoring in Special Education and Jewish Philosophy and received a teaching degree from the Kerem Institute. Valerie studied at the Schechter Institute, earned two M.A. degrees and had the honor to be the first woman ordained by the Masorti movement in Israel, in 1993. She has been involved in Spiritual Care in Israel since its beginnings and is dedicated to advancing this area.Since 2008, Valerie studied Clinical Pastoral Education (C.P.E.) in Israel and in the United States at Schechter Institute for Jewish Studies with Rabbi Zahara Davidowiz-Farkas,  Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey with Rev. John DeVelder,  Jewish Theological Seminary in New York with Rabbi Mychal Springer and Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston with Rev. Mary Martha Thiel. Valerie was certified as a chaplain by NAJC – Neshama Association of Jewish Chaplains and the Israeli Association for Spiritual Care. In 2020, she was certified as an educator in Spiritual Care after she studied at the Educator's Course with Dr. Rabbi Alan Abrams at the Schwartz Center for Health and Spirituality.During this period, Valerie worked as a chaplain at various hospitals and geriatric centers: Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in the hematology day care and the rehabilitation departments, Hadassah Ein Karem in the Bone Marrow transplant department, the French Hospital in Palliative care, Hod Yerushalayim nursing home, Yehud and Ness Ziona day-care for the elderly and more.Valerie taught Spiritual Care in C.P.E. professional training programs and various courses for health-care and geriatric staff.She served on the board of the Association for Spiritual Care in Israel and of Tmicha, the organization for palliative care in Israel and is a member of the N.A.J.C, the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. Valerie speaks Hebrew, French, English and some Russian.Painting by Georges Stessin, Rabbi Stessin's late father.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

Rabbi Mychal B. Springer is the manager of Clinical Pastoral Education at NY-Presbyterian Hospital. She founded the Center for Pastoral Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in Manhattan in 2009. Over a ten-year period she oversaw an intensive hospice chaplaincy training program in collaboration with Metropolitan Jewish Health System's Hospice. She began her career as a hospital chaplain in New York City, and in the 1990s became the director of the Department of Pastoral Care and Education at Beth Israel Medical Center. Mychal was the first Conservative rabbi to be certified as an Educator by ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care & Education. Mychal served as The Rabbinical School at JTS's associate dean and director of Field Education. Her publications include Sisters in Mourning: Daughters Reflecting on Care, Loss, and Meaning (Cascade Press, 2021) with Dr. Su Yon Pak and “Presence in a Time of Distancing: Spiritual Care in an Acute Care Setting” in Jewish End-of-Life Care in a Virtual Age: Our Traditions Reimagined, Friedman D, Levin D, Raphael SP ed. (Albion Andalus, 2021).Mychal received her BA in Judaic Studies and Religious Studies from Yale College magna cum laude. She was ordained a Conservative rabbi and received her Master's in Judaic Studies and Doctor of Divinity at JTS. Mychal is a certified Jewish chaplain in Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains.In the interview, Rabbi Springer recalls her friend from childhood, Aaron Kushner, and how his tragic illness and death inspired his father, Rabbi Harold Kushner (who died in 2023) to write his best-selling book When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Here is Rabbi Ed Bernstein interviewing Rabbi Harold Kushner in 2013.Rabbi Springer makes cameo appearances in two memoirs:”Choosing My Religion: A Memoir of a Family Beyond Belief,” by Stephen Dubner”The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions,” by Jonathan Rosen (Rabbi Springer's husband). Here are links to other resources mentioned by Rabbi Springer: Palestine 1936 by Oren Kessler. Dr. David Senesh interviewed on the Invisible Wound podcast.Haverut: The Healing Arts  led by Rachel Ettun.The solemn prayer Un'tane Tokef that is recited on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur  was the inspiration for Leonard Cohen's “Who By Fire.”    About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

Chaplain Hagar Ben-Eliezer, BCC, is a Chaplain and Wellness Therapist for Hillel at UC Berkeley. She previously worked in pediatric chaplaincy at both UCSF and Stanford hospitals. She teaches medical school students on Trauma Informed Care, Somatic Healing and has created workshops in veterinarian chaplaincy she leads for staff at animal hospitals. In  the summer of 2024 Hagar served as the Hillel Birthright International Grief and Trauma Specialist in Israel. Chaplain Hagar is active in NAJC and serves on the board as well as co-chairs the conference committee and leads the fundraising committee. She is also a mentor to chaplains preparing for their certification.Rabbi Drew Kaplan currently serves as the campus rabbi for Cincinnati Hillel. Before that, he served as the rabbi and director working on behalf of institutions addressing the needs of young people such as the Jewish Student Services and Jewish Young Adult Enrichment as well as Long Beach Hillel, all in Southern California. He also served our most vulnerable population throughout the pandemic, when he was the rabbi/director of pastoral care for Cedar Village in Ohia. Rabbi Drew is a prolific content creator and has a special interest in the history of Jewish drinking that he discusses on the Jewish Drinking Show Podcast. About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

Rabbi Chaplain Stephen Roberts is a leading practitioner and teacher in the field of professional chaplaincy. He has written, edited and co-edited vital works that have become standard reading for CPE classes and chaplains in the field. These include his edited work Professional Spiritual and Pastoral Care: A Practical Clergy and Chaplain's Handbook, the first comprehensive resource for spiritual and pastoral care. He is also co-editor of Disaster Spiritual Care: Practical Clergy Responses to Community, Regional and National Tragedy.Earlier in his career Rabbi Roberts served as Director of Pastoral Care for the Beth Israel Hospital System (NY). He has served as Associate Executive Vice President of the New York Board of Rabbis and oversaw pastoral care services to over fifty facilities in New York City, Long Island and Westchester. Rabbi Roberts has served on American Red Cross' National Spiritual Care Oversight Committee since 2000.   Rabbi Roberts current focus as a chaplain is helping chaplains develop professionally through the organization ChaplainDL.ORG - Chaplain Distance Learning.Rabbi Roberts has a Masters in Business from The Wharton School in Philadelphia, PA. He was ordained from Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1995.A Board Certified Chaplain, Rabbi Roberts is a past president of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains and was instrumental in helping create the joint chaplaincy national standards. He is editing a textbook on required competencies for chaplains pursuing board certification.    About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

Rabbi Mira Rivera is the first Filipina-American woman to receive rabbinic ordination at The Jewish Theological Seminary. She is Rabbi-in-Residence nationally with The LUNAR Collective, a Gen-Z founded organization by and for Asian American Jews.  She also serves as Rabbi-In-Residence at JCC Harlem with a mission of growing an in-person Shabbat community of learners, daveners, and organizers that is truly welcoming to those who have been on the margins.  Among numerous accolades, Rabbi Rivera was named by the New York Jewish Week in 2023 as one of “36 to Watch” for contributions in the arts, religion, culture, business, politics, and philanthropy.  She was a recipient of the 2023 Rabbinic Human Rights Hero Award from T'ruah.Rabbi Rivera is a Board Certified Chaplain and a member of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains.Additional Resources: Chai Chats with Rabbi Mira Rivera "The Torah of Jews of Color"--Rabbi Mira Rivera and her daughter Arielle Korman on Judaism Unbound PodcastThe Jewish-Asian Film Project of The Lunar CollectiveWhat Is a Microaggression?Racism in the Jewish Community: The Uncomfortable Truth, Ilana Kaufman ELI TalkThe Largest Study Ever of Jews of Color. What Did It Find?What Makes This Jew Different Than All Other Jews? Race, Difference and Safety in Jewish Spaces, MaNishtana ELI Talk  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is currently in chaplain training at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

This is Part 4 in the series: Let's Talk: Interfaith Voices on Israel. In this series, Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn, President of Neshama:Association of Jewish Chaplains, engages in dialogue with diverse faith leaders across America to discuss their personal and religious connections to Israel in a series co-sponsored by NAJC, Moishe House, the International Rabbinic Fellowship and Congregation Netivot Shalom of Teaneck, NJ. Each virtual event in this series features a positive interfaith bridge-builder. In this program Rabbanit Alissa is in conversation with Anila Ali. A native of Pakistan, Anila Ali is a retired California public school teacher, Muslim philanthropist, author, and women rights advocate. This conversation was recorded on May 17, 2024 and aired before an online audience of NAJC members on May 19, 2024. About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is currently in chaplain training at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

This is Part 3 in the series: Let's Talk: Interfaith Voices on Israel. In this series, Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn, President of Neshama:Association of Jewish Chaplains, engages in dialogue with diverse faith leaders across America to discuss their personal and religious connections to Israel in a series co-sponsored by NAJC, Moishe House, the International Rabbinic Fellowship and Congregation Netivot Shalom of Teaneck, NJ. Each virtual event in this series features a positive interfaith bridge-builder. In this program Rabbanit Alissa is in conversation with Dr. Jeffrey Chadwick. He serves as Professor of Archaeology and Near Eastern Studies at the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center in Israel, and as Associate Professor of Religious Education at Brigham Young University in Utah, USA. This program initially took place before a live online audience on May 9, 2024.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is currently in chaplain training at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

Rabbi Nancy Wiener, D. Min., was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and now serves on the faculty of its New York City campus as: Founding Director of the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Center for Pastoral Counseling; Dr. Paul and Trudy Steinberg Distinguished Professor in Human Relations; and Fieldwork Coordinator. Rabbi Wiener, along with Rabbi Jo Hirschmann, is a co-author of Maps and Meaning: Levitical Models for Contemporary Care. Rabbi Wiener serves on the board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. For a more extensive biography, click here Much of this conversation centers around texts from the Book of Leviticus, specifically, Chapter 13 and Chapter 14 . These texts are read in the annual Torah reading cycle as part of the weekly portions Tazria (Leviticus 12:1-13:59) and Metzora (Leviticus 14:1-15:33). These portions will be read in synagogue shortly after this episode is published. Rabbi Wiener also refers to the Haftarah reading for Metzora taken from II Kings 7:3-20. Glossary of key Hebrew terms in this episode: Haftarah: Prophetic reading that accompanies the liturgical weekly Torah reading. Livui Ruhani: Spirtual accompaniment; "Livui" comes from the same root as Levi, the tribe of the priests, the class of people who accompanied the nation through sacred rites; the modern Hebrew term for chaplaincy.Mleaven (male)/ Melavah (female) Ruhani: One who provides spiritual accompaniment; the modern Hebrew term for chaplain. Metzora: A person afflicted with the disease of tzara'at (see below). Ohel Moed: Tent of MeetingTahor: PureTamei: ImpureTzara'at: a skin disease referred to in Leviticus 13 and 14. It has often been translated as leprosy, but many modern Biblical scholars reject this translation.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is currently in chaplain training at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

This is Part 2 in the series: Let's Talk: Interfaith Voices on Israel. In this series, Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn, President of Neshama:Association of Jewish Chaplains, engages in dialogue with diverse faith leaders across America discuss their personal and religious connections to Israel in a series co-sponsored by NAJC, Moishe House, the International Rabbinic Fellowship and Congregation Netivot Shalom of Teaneck, NJ. Each virtual event in this series features a positive interfaith bridge-builder. In this program Rabbanit Alissa engages in conversation with Erica Cohen Moore, Executive Director of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. This program initially took place before a live online audience on March 27, 2024.  Note: at 9:40 in audio, Erica talks about the Jewish roots of one side of her family. She refers to a piece of artwork on her wall depicting an older Jewish man blowing a shofar, an heirloom from her Jewish grandparents. See recording on NAJC YouTube  channel to view picture.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

This is the first session in the series: Let's Talk: Interfaith Voices on Israel. In this series, Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn, President of Neshama:Association of Jewish Chaplains, engages in dialogue with diverse faith leaders across America discuss their personal and religious connections to Israel in a series co-sponsored by NAJC, Moishe House, the International Rabbinic Fellowship and Congregation Netivot Shalom of Teaneck, NJ. Each virtual event in this series features a positive interfaith bridge-builder. In this program Rabbanit Alissa engages in conversation with Bishop Kenneth Ulmer, PhD., of the Baptist tradition. This program initially took place before a live online audience on March 13, 2024. This episode is also available to watch on YouTube.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

About Our Guest:Cantor Rabbi Rob Jury, PhD, BCC, CRADC, LCPC, NCCCantor Rabbi Dr. Jury is the Founder and Clinical Director of the Tikvah Center for Jewish Recovery & Healing, a state licensed and JCAHO accredited, Jewish addiction treatment program in Northbrook, Illinois. His Rabbinic ordination is from the Hebrew Seminary for the Deaf in Skokie, IL. Rob is also the senior rabbi at Congregation Anshe Tikvah. Rob serves on the faculty of The Family Institute of Northwestern University where he is the course lead for Research Methods in Counseling, in addition to teaching Assessment in Counseling, and Addiction Counseling. His article on Jewish metaphors in narrative practice with people resisting addiction can be found in the International Journal of Narrative Therapy & Community Work. He has a PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision, a Masters in Narrative Therapy and Community Work from the University of Melbourne, and an MA in Counseling from Northwestern University. Rob is a board certified chaplain with NAJC, where he currently serves as a member of the board and as Certification Chair. He is also a BCC member of the Association of Professional Chaplains. Rob is a member of the Chicago Board of Rabbis and the Cantors Assembly. Rob is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Certified Reciprocal Alcohol and Drug Counselor.Cantor Jury's singing of "Hallelujah" at the end of this podcast is taken from a YouTube recording of his guest presentation to New Faith Apostolic Church in Chicago in 2017. Watch the whole video here. Cantor Rabbi Jury makes reference to Beit T'shuvah in Los Angeles and to their founders Rabbi Mark Borovitz and Harriet Rossetto. For more information, click here. Cantor Rabbi Jury discusses the labyrinth at his synagogue, Anshei Tikvah. Here is a video explaining this particular labyrinth. Glossary of Hebrew words used in this podcast: B'rachah (39:22): Blessing; specifically referring in this context to the liturgy recited before drinking a beverage: Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, shehakol nehiye bidvaro. Praised are You God, Sovereign of the universe, in Whose word everything comes into being. Pikuah Nefesh (28:21): literally "saving a life;" referring here to the Jewish legal notion of prioritizing saving a life over religious rituals. Purim Seudah (27:25): The festive meal traditionally held on Purim afternoon.   Shul (37:44): Synagogue; may refer to the physical building or to services taking place there. Yahrzeit (38:14): Anniversary of death; surviving relatives often make a point to attend services in synagogue on a loved one's yahrzeit. Zechut (22:32): Merit; as in having the merit, privilege or opportunity to fulfill a mitzvah, a sacred commandment.  NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is currently in chaplain training at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

About Our Guest:Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn recently began her term as President of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Rabbanit Alissa was ordained at Yeshivat Maharat and is a Board Certified Chaplain. She is  a full-time staff chaplain at New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center where she specializes in end-of-life care, palliative care, and psychiatric care. She also serves on the clergy team at Congregation Netivot Shalom in Teaneck, NJ, where she resides with her family. Rabbanit Alissa is a prolific writer and speaker, and in 2017 was chosen as one of the Forward 50, the Forward's annual list of the 50 most influential, accomplished, and interesting American Jews.Rabbanit Alissa is featured in the video “Are we ready for female spiritual leadership?” hosted by Mayim Bialik.More about Rabbanit Alissa is found in Wikipedia.During podcast interview, reference is made to article in New York Times Magazine, “Should patients be allowed to die from anorexia?” About our host: Rabbi Edward Bernstein, PBCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

The Journal of Jewish Spiritual Care can be found here. Transcripts of this episode and other NeshamaCast episodes may be found at https://neshamacast.simplecast.com. For more about Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains, visit https://najc.org  or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/JewishChplns. About Our Guests:Rabbi Charles P. Rabinowitz, BCC, provides home hospice and palliative care services for Caring Hospice Services of New York.  Rabbi Rabinowitz holds ordinations as both Rabbi and Dayan from Tifereth Israel Rabbinical Seminary. He has written extensively on narrative psychology, clinical pastoral psychology and education, comfort fatigue/secondary stress, end-of-life cultural and communication issues for dementia patients and their families in a home hospice setting, Biblical and Judaic studies. He is the 100th generation of rabbis in his family (Hillel is at the bottom of the trunk.) Rabbi Rabinowitz is also certified in Palliative Care Chaplaincy.  Rabbi Kinzbrunner is the owner of New Beginnings Spiritual Coaching and Consulting LLC, helping people on the journey through the waves of life. Bryan is an experienced Spiritual Care chaplain with over 15 years of experience working in Senior Care and Hospice. He has semicha/ordination from Yeshiva University. Bryan has spent his career working closely with people on areas of spirituality, grief and loss and transitions. He is passionate about helping others discover their authentic, spiritual selves. About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, PBCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives.

About Our GuestReb Cantor Lisa Levine is a well known cantor, composer, author, chaplain, poet and recording artist who builds bridges between faith communities.Lisa earned a BA from University of California Irvine and received her Ordination from HUC-JIR DFSSM. Lisa is the author of Yoga Shalom a popular Jewish Yoga book as well as the prayer voice of “Hebrew In Harmony” curriculum published by Behrman House Books. Her catalogue of 10 CD's and 6 songbooks of healing and worship music is widely published and featured in many compilations. Her album “Bridge To Peace” is dedicated to chaplaincy and healing. Her album “Jospel Jam” is a mix of Jewish and Gospel original music which unites people of all faiths and beliefs. “We Are All Candles" is on the album “In the Light” and “Rock of Ages” appears on the album “Keeping the Spirit.” Lisa's most recent album is “This Holy Place.”Lisa received Ordination as Rabbinic Pastor through Aleph Alliance for Jewish Renewal in 2018. She serves as a JSSA (Jewish Social Services) Chaplain and Chaplain of Riderwood Jewish Community in Silver Spring, MD. Lisa is a Registered Yoga Teacher and teaches yoga embodiment as well as music and chaplaincy in conferences and zoom rooms around the country. Her book Heart of Light: Poems of Longing, Loss and Life has recently been published and is available on Amazon.com. She is currently the Artist-In-Residence at Temple Rodeph Torah in Marlboro, NJ and freelances around the country.Here is Lisa's video of “We Are All Candles,” referenced in interview. About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, PBCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. Here is Ed's interview with Jewish song leader and educator Rick Recht, who is mentioned in this interview.

About Our GuestAllison Kestenbaum, BCC, ACPE, is the Supervisor of Spiritual Care and Clinical Pastoral Education at UC San Diego Health.  She is a Board Certified Chaplain (NAJC and APC) with Advanced Certification in Hospice and Palliative Care. She is also a Certified Pastoral Educator (ACPE).   Allison conducts research about spiritual palliative care and education and is founding faculty at SpiritualAIM.org.  She has worked at UC San Francisco Health,  Jewish Theological Seminary and UJA-Federation of New York.   She was the first chaplain to receive a Sojourns Scholar Award for palliative care leaders. Her two kids bring her daily joy, challenge and keep her on her toes. Here are links to websites and articles referenced in interview: PubMedSpiritual AIMLife's DoorBased in Israel and the U.S., Life's Door engages health care professionals, patients, elderly, family members, caregivers, clergy, community members, lay leaders, and policy makers to promote hopefulness, wellbeing, dignity, and compassion within healthcare, social service and community settings.NAJC articles and resourcesKestenbaum A, McEniry KA, Friedman S, Kent J, Ma JD, Roeland EJ. Spiritual AIM: assessment and documentation of spiritual needs in patients with cancer. J Health Care Chaplain. 2022 Oct-Dec;28(4):566-577. doi: 10.1080/08854726.2021.2008170. Epub 2021 Dec 5. PMID: 34866556.Kestenbaum A, Shields M, James J, Hocker W, Morgan S, Karve S, Rabow MW, Dunn LB. What Impact Do Chaplains Have? A Pilot Study of Spiritual AIM for Advanced Cancer Patients in Outpatient Palliative Care. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2017 Nov;54(5):707-714. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2017.07.027. Epub 2017 Jul 21. PMID: 28736103; PMCID: PMC5650916.Kestenbaum A, Fleischman CA, Dabis M, Birnbaum B, Dunn LB. Examination of Spiritual Needs in Hurricane Sandy Disaster Recovery Through Clinical Pastoral Education Verbatims. J Pastoral Care Counsel. 2018 Mar;72(1):8-21. doi: 10.1177/1542305017748663. PMID: 29623794.NeshamaCast is starting to produce transcripts of our episodes. Here is a transcript of Episode 1 with Rabbi Joe Ozarowski, BCC.Here is a transcript to our Bonus Episode with Rabbi Valerie Stessin, BCC, of Israel. Here is a transcript of Episode 2 with Rabbi Shira Stern.Check NeshamaCast Home Page for more transcripts as they become available.  About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, PBCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives.

About our guest: Rabbi Shira Stern was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1983 and earned her Doctor of Ministry from HUC-JIR in 2003.  She was the rabbi and educator of the Monroe Township Jewish Center for 13 years. She has also served as a hospital and hospice chaplain, Director of the Joint Chaplaincy Program of Greater Middlesex County and the Director of the Jewish Institute for Pastoral Care in New York City.Rabbi Stern founded the Center for Pastoral Care and Counseling in Marlboro, NJ, from which she recently retired as director. In her work there she worked with children and adults in focusing on problem solving and personal growth. Rabbi Stern was trained by the Red Cross to serve on the SAIR team - Spiritual Air Incident Response Team in 2001 and worked for four months at the Liberty State Park Family Assistance Center in the aftermath of 9/11. She is currently the lead chaplain for Disaster Spiritual Care for American Red Cross in New Jersey.Rabbi Stern writes on issues of Women in Judaism, biblical commentary and chaplaincy-related topics and has taught two Jewish feminist courses at Rutgers University. She is a Board Certified Jewish Chaplain and is a Past-President of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. She has been widely featured in the print and television media on a variety of topics.Rabbi Stern is married to Rabbi Donald Weber.See also: "Rabbi helps Pittsburgh community pick up the pieces" "Rabbi and Red Cross Volunteer Delivers Message of Hope to TempleShalom in Naples""Welcome to the Jewish Berkshires, Rabbi Shira Stern""Hatikvah on Mount Scopus", July, 1967, Isaac Stern, Leonard Bernstein and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra About our host: Rabbi Edward Bernstein, PBCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives.

Rabbi Valerie Stessin is the Director of Kashouvot: The Center for Spiritual Care in Israel. A native of France, Valerie earned a BA from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, majoring in Special Education and Jewish Philosophy and received a teaching degree from the Kerem Institute. Valerie studied at the Schechter Institute, earned two M.A. degrees and had the honor to be the first woman ordained by the Masorti movement in Israel, in 1993. She has been involved in Spiritual Care in Israel since its beginnings and is dedicated to advancing this area.Since 2008, Valerie studied Clinical Pastoral Education (C.P.E.) in the best programs in Israel and in the United States:   Schechter Institute for Jewish Studies with Rabbi Zahara Davidowiz-Farkas,  Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey with Rev. John DeVelder,  Jewish Theological Seminary in New York with Rabbi Mychal Springer and Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston with Rev. Mary Martha Thiel. Valerie was certified as a chaplain by NAJC – Neshama Association of Jewish Chaplains and the Israeli Association for Spiritual Care. In 2020, she was certified as an educator in Spiritual Care after she studied at the Educator's Course with Dr. Rabbi Alan Abrams at the Schwartz Center for Health and Spirituality.During this period, Valerie worked as a chaplain at various hospitals and geriatric centers: Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in the hematology day care and the rehabilitation departments, Hadassah Ein Karem in the Bone Marrow transplant department, the French Hospital in Palliative care, Hod Yerushalayim nursing home, Yehud and Ness Ziona day-care for the elderly and more.Valerie taught Spiritual Care in C.P.E. professional training programs and various courses for health-care and geriatric staff.She served on the board of the Association for Spiritual Care in Israel and of Tmicha, the organization for palliative care in Israel and is a member of the N.A.J.C, the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. Valerie speaks Hebrew, French, English and some Russian.

About our guest:Rabbi Dr. Joseph S. Ozarowski, BCCRabbi Joe has enjoyed a fulfilling career as a pulpit rabbi, educator, prolific author and board-certified chaplain for more than 40 years. He has worked full-time at JCFS Chicago since 2005 and presently serves as Rabbinic Counselor and Jewish Chaplaincy Services Chaplain.Rabbi Ozararowski serves as President of Neshama: The Association of Jewish Chaplains. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Rabbi Joe completed his undergraduate (honors) work at Loyola University Chicago, was ordained with Semicha at Skokie's Hebrew Theological College, and received a Doctorate from Lancaster Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania.Rabbi Joe's first book, To Walk in God's Ways: Jewish Pastoral Perspectives on Illness and Bereavement is considered a standard in the field of Judaism and Pastoral Care. About our host: Rabbi Edward Bernstein, PBCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives.

In NeshamaCast, we will hear from a variety of Jewish chaplains in the field to share their stories describing Jewish spiritual care and why it matters. Our guests will offer their perspectives from the field on the impact Jewish chaplains have on the people we serve and related topics such as major trends in Jewish spiritual care, Jewish medical ethics, disaster chaplaincy, interfaith relations, the aging of our society, addiction and recovery and more. Please join us on our journey to bring healing to our world.