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April 16, 2010
Respect for elders
First in-house chaplain for seniors hired.
MICHELLE DODEK
Rabbi Hillel Brody, the new chaplain for the Louis Brier Home and Hospital and Harry and Jeanette (of Baltimore) Weinberg Residence, has found being the first-ever in-house chaplain a big job. At the same time, he has found both homes to be incredibly warm and family-oriented places, where people treat each other with respect and dignity.
Currently working 16 hours a week, splitting his time with teaching duties at the Pacific Torah Institute, Brody is very busy meeting the residents and staff for whom he is providing pastoral care. Brody is almost finished his master’s in counseling psychology and has ample ways to put it to use, giving spiritual support to those dealing with aging and end-of-life issues.
Another aspect of his position is to foster connections with Jewish community outside of the Louis Brier. This year, he is initiating contact with pulpit rabbis in order to make the Shabbat of April 23-24 one dedicated to raising awareness of issues facing elderly members of the community.
“This concept crosses denominational lines,” said Brody. “The objective is to have each rabbi get behind the concept in a way that is right for each congregation.”
The reason behind the specific date connects with the weekly Torah portion or parashah, Kedoshim, which will be read that Shabbat. It offers an extensive guide to moral and ethical behavior. The list begins with the Ten Commandments, number two being to honor your father and mother. Later in the parashah, we are commanded to “Rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man....” This verse refers to the level of respect Jews should afford the elderly in our midst. Brody hopes rabbis will pick up on this thread and encourage greater awareness of caring for the elderly and, in turn, a stronger link with the Louis Brier.
Beth Israel (BI) Synagogue already has a strong link with the Louis Brier and Weinberg Residence. Gaynor Levin, program director at BI, explained that, periodically, they host a lunch called Zing a Bissl, Ess a Bissl, at which Cantor Mike Zoosman and Ba’alat Tefillah Debbie Fenson sing Yiddish songs. The program sometimes includes others, such as the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver Showtime performers or various children from the community. The entire BI klei kodesh (sacred vessels, i.e. clergy), including the rabbi, make visits to the Louis Brier frequently, and the Hebrew school visits residents on Jewish holidays.
BI’s Rabbi Jonathan Infeld said, “I am delighted to see that Rabbi Brody is already having a positive impact on the Louis Brier and Weinberg and I will definitely be talking about the importance of seniors in our community on the 24th.”
Rabbi Philip Bregman of Temple Sholom will also focus on the elderly, although in a different way. “I want to draw awareness to the needs of our elderly and the issue of elder abuse, specifically.” We don’t often hear about elder abuse, as it can be kept very private, but, according to Statistics Canada, it is common. Bregman stressed that society is measured by how we treat our most vulnerable and he plans to remind his congregants of their responsibility in this area.
Bregman noted that he had just returned from a monthly seniors tea that Temple Sholom hosts for their members at the Louis Brier. “We want them to know that we still prize them as members,” he said. He also spoke about the webcast of all of Temple Sholom’s services, enabling members who are unable to attend to still feel that they are part of religious life. This extends to elderly relatives of b’nai mitzvah children who may not be able to travel to the ceremony, but who can watch in real time from anywhere in the world and still feel included.
In an e-mail to the Jewish Independent, Or Shalom Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan noted that her congregation has strong ties to the Louis Brier. "For the last six years," she wrote, "Or Shalom volunteers of all ages have presented a Tu b’Shevat seder there. Volunteers representing Or Shalom have presented musical concerts, facilitated a workshop in ethical wills and participated in the Oneg Shabbat program. And, most enjoyable for me personally, for two years, I led a monthly Rosh Chodesh group for women at the Louis Brier. Recently, this evolved into an opportunity for me to work with Rabbi Daniel Siegel and his students at King David High School in presenting our third annual intergenerational special event at the home."
At Richmond’s Beth Tikvah, Rabbi Claudio Kaiser-Blueth acknowledged that he has spoken of respect for the elderly in reference to Parashat Kedoshim in years past. Although his congregation does not have programming linked to the Louis Brier, he explained, they provide a seniors program in Richmond from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Monday, in conjunction with the Richmond Kehila Society. There, Jewish seniors can benefit from educational lectures on topics ranging from medical issues to the environment. After lunch, the program continues with activities, including a popular English as a second language class, mostly used by elderly Russian immigrants. The program is supported by volunteers.
Brody pointed out that interacting with the elderly is a way of performing an act of chesed (kindness) while gaining something at the same time. “Please, consider becoming a volunteer,” he said. “Beyond the mitzvah, the personal satisfaction and growth you will find may change your life.”
For information on how to become involved with brightening the day of a senior living in either the Louis Brier Home or Weinberg Residence, contact volunteer coordinator Nomi Fenson at 604-267-4736 or call Brody at 604-267-4618.
Michelle Dodek is a freelance writer living in Vancouver.
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