Chaplaincy Stories

None of us could have imagined the past year and how our Jewish (and secular/everyday) activities would be so different. For many of us, we did not know how much we would miss going to synagogue, attending simchas and community events, and even… Read More

These months of the pandemic have presented the Jewish (and other faith) communities with stark challenges to our usual ways of gathering.   It is very hard to feel a sense of spirituality and connection without being physically present with others. Read More

"The Jewish world accommodates a pretty big tent: We pray, study, and celebrate within a framework of established denominations; and our community reflects a wide diversity of beliefs, philosophies and backgrounds. I’m thinking about this as we head… Read More

Rabbi Judith Beiner, JF&CS Community Chaplain, reflects on the fall cycle of Jewish holidays. Read More

Rabbi Judith Beiner, JF&CS Community Chaplain, shares her thoughts on the ceremony of Tashlich. Read More

Rabbi Judith Beiner, JF&CS Community Chaplain, provides thoughts on celebrating the High Holy Days during the pandemic. Read More

August 14, 2020 - AJTFlora Rosefsky writes how JF&CS Chaplaincy program offers connection and compassion during COVID-19. Read More

Tisha B’Av is an uncomfortable reminder of the destructive power of hatred and how in this time in history, we are in need of acts of love. Read More

Our Bikkur Cholim Volunteers have become even more crucial in providing reassurance and hope that at some future time we will gather together in person! Read More

May our Independence Day celebrations inspire us to learn and to act, and work towards the day when all Americans prosper with the promise of freedom. Read More

The highest ideals of the Torah are played out in the book of Ruth, when the characters fulfill their legal and moral obligations under Torah law by caring for the needy in the community, seen in the established practice of gleaning whereby the poor… Read More

The period between Passover and Shavuot is called the Sefira. It refers to the practice of counting the Omer, an ancient Hebrew measure of grain, that was once offered up in the Temple. Read More

We know for certain that we are in a marathon, and not a sprint, and that taking care of both our bodies and souls is vital for us all. Read More

Purim is an opportunity to briefly set our worries and stress, our cares and sadness aside and immerse ourselves in joy. No matter our age, we each have the opportunity to become immersed in the reading and the rituals, the costumes and levity, and… Read More

Barry Starr has been volunteering with Bikkur Cholim for five years. Read More

If you are into history and ritual, Tu B’Shvat is for you. If are a passionate Zionist or environmentalist, Tu B’Shvat is for you as well. Read More

In our Jewish tradition, the mitzvah of burying the dead is a great act of loving kindness, and a shared responsibility of the entire community. Read More

Over the years, the numbers attending our seder had grown to the point that we’d moved out of the dining room into the living room. We’ve had as many as 30 people, which calls for rearranging furniture, lots of cooking and dishes to wash. Read More

This week, we celebrate the holiday of Purim. The festivities are grounded in the book of Esther, in which we read the tale of how the Jews of Persia overcame the villain, Haman, who sought to annihilate them. Read More

Rabbi Judith R. Beiner JF&CS Community Chaplain Read More