Hospital pastoral carers
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) have hosted the second annual Jewish Immersion Day for Pastoral Carers from hospitals.
The Pastoral Care Group
This was the first time that the program was part of a pastoral care University level subject delivered through Stirling College and the University of Divinity. Twenty pastoral carers from various religious faiths participated and they heard from a wide variety of speakers and had a rich immersion into Jewish history, tradition and explanation of Jewish pastoral needs.
JCCV President, Jennifer Huppert opened the program at the St Kilda Hebrew Congregation and speakers included David Marlow (JCCV), Rabbi Nerenberg (Jewish Care), Michel Laloum (Temple Beth Israel), Ephraim Finch (Melbourne Chevra Kadisha), Rabbi Adam Stein (Kehilat Nitzan), Rabbi Yaakov Glasman (St Kilda Hebrew Congregation), Rabbi Dovid Gutnick (East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation) and Gabbi Sar-Shalom (Caulfield General Hospital).
Rabbi Stein introduced the pastoral carers to Jewish prayer and the Siddur while Rabbi Nerenberg used the proximity to Rosh Hashanah to introduce the participants to the sounds of the Shofar, which was very well received.
The group also toured the Jewish Museum of Australia with Rebecca Forgasz, the Mikvah with Timmy Rubin, and the Jewish Holocaust Centre with Michael Cohen and Survivor Guide Abe Goldberg OAM.
Ms Huppert stated, “Through education, we can improve both understanding and the delivery of services. It is vital that those providing service to members of our community have a better understanding of our community and the diversity of our needs, and have clarity as to where they can obtain detailed information when they have the need.”
The event was organised by The Jewish Community Council of Victoria.
