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May 21, 2004
Chaplains provide spirituality
Rabbinic student Josh Berkenwald joined Haro Park's Passover seder.
DAN LEVITT SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
When faced with times of profound change such as giving up one's
home, illness, crisis and stress, people often draw closer to their
spiritual side. Chaplains provide an important service in a health-care
environment, and the goals of traditional health-care facility chaplaincy
programs are to meet the spiritual and religious needs of individuals
and staff; to be a resource for counselling or religious support
in the area; and to be a liaison with clergy who may have members
of their faith community in the health-care setting.
For many years, Haro Park Centre has had a volunteer-based chaplaincy
program. It is an interfaith, non-sectarian service that is available
to all, regardless of religious affiliation. The purpose of the
program is to assist the elderly residents and their families and
friends through stressful times, such as adjustment to living in
the facility.
The majority of churches within the West End (the West End Pastoral
Association) contribute to Haro Park's program. These churches were
part of the original mission of the centre and were involved in
the overall planning on how the spiritual needs of seniors would
be met.
The chaplaincy program has two dedicated leaders: Mary Holcroft
and Veronica McLean. Not only do the two volunteers, who themselves
are seniors, meet individually with elderly residents, but they
also lead a fellowship group, offer a spiritual music therapy program,
hospital visitation and lead memorial services for residents.
At a recent interfaith service in the chapel, the holidays of Easter
and Passover were combined. Josh Berkenwald, a second year rabbinic
student attending the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, provided
the background to the Passover festival. The seniors were treated
to an overview of the biblical history of Passover and how the seder
meal has been incorporated into the present day holiday. Berkenwald
described a typical seder, and the seniors enjoyed an evening that
included the telling of the story of Passover, along with wine and
a meal with family and friends. Matzah was provided to all of the
seniors so that they could taste the "bread of affliction."
The seniors attending the service enthusiastically participated
in the conversation, asking questions and responding to Berkenwald's
engaging dialogue. The service concluded with the priestly blessing
and an explanation of the Jewish tradition of the prayer said over
children at the beginning of Shabbat before the dinner – "May
the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord make his face shine
upon you and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face
toward you and give you peace."
Haro Park Centre is fortunate to have a dedicated space for a chapel.
The chapel is used by residents, tenants and staff as a sacred space
for contemplation, often between various services that are conducted
there. Haro Park has added chapel renovations to its fund-raising
wish list, with the hopes of making this space warmer and more comfortable.
The furniture is no longer suitable for the seniors and the organ
has nearly reached the end of its useful life.
The chaplaincy program offers important assistance to the seniors,
including assisting seniors and families with understanding and
contemplating future health-care decisions, which might be made
in advance; and providing opinions such as ethical and end-of-life
concerns and dilemmas. Chaplains arrange for ministry from the clergy
of the resident's and families' preference. They provide emotional
and spiritual services for staff members as needed or requested.
"As part of the healing team, the chaplain can help elderly
residents accept the limitations of their humanity and affirm the
power of prayer as a way to re-energize the spirit," said Barbara
Donnelly, executive director of Haro Park Centre. "The chaplain
can also be a sounding board when other members of the healing team,
such as doctors and nurses, need to express their feelings of frustration
and wish to find positive ways to address the stress that's part
of their calling as health-care professionals."
Haro Park Centre is a campus of care located in Vancouver's West
End. The facility provides complex care to 154 residents and also
operates a 64-unit apartment highrise for seniors who live independently.
The eldercare organization opened in 1980. Its two founding societies
are the Netherlands Association for Seniors Care and the Lions Gate
B'nai B'rith Building Society. Both societies remain supportive
of the chaplaincy program and new ways of enhancing the services
offered to seniors.
For more information about Haro Park Centre, visit the centre's
Web site at www.haropark.org
or contact Dan Levitt, director of operations, community development
and fund-raising at [email protected]
or 604-687-5584, ext. 237.
Dan Levitt is director of operations, community
development and fund-raising at Haro Park Centre.
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