- Home
- What is Bikur Cholim
- About Us
- About Being a Visitor
- Laws of Bikur Cholim
- Tips for Visitors
- Conversation Essentials
- Prayers for Visitors
- Telephone Visits
- Looking After Yourself
- Getting Started - Organizing a Group
- Starting a new group
- Sustaining a group
- About synagogue groups - Video/Print
- Further Reading
- Bikur Cholim Directory
- Annual Conference
- Links
- Contact Us:
(212) 632-4730
Highlights from the 22nd ANNUAL BIKUR CHOLIM CONFERENCE
The Mitzvah of Bikur Cholim: An Investment of Enduring Value
Sunday, November 8, 2009
UJA-Federation of New York
“Gave me new skills and knowledge”
See what over 200 participants from NY and around the country enjoyed:
- Two Dynamic Keynote Addresses
- 16 Amazing Workshops
- In the News
- Photo Album (Is your picture in here? Copy and upload it to your synagogue website, send to your friends and family, spread the word and promote the mitzvah of bikur cholim!)
Keynote Address: Judaism’s Timeless Wisdom and Contemporary Medicine
by Rabbi Aaron Glatt, M.D., noted physician, rabbi, hospital president and author of Visiting the Sick.
• What is the purpose of a visit?
• How should a visitor prepare for a visit?
• How long should a visit be? (with a humorous bent)
• How can one offer comfort to the family of the ill?
“Bikur cholim is not like shaking a lulav and esrog. You don’t ask the lulav and esrog if they want to be shaken.”
“The patient may be infected but the family is affected.”
Second Keynote: Bikur Cholim as a Pathway to Resilience
by Dr. David Pelcovitz, noted Trauma Specialist.
• What concepts and practical skills does the field of trauma teach us about resilience?
• What is “required helpfulness” and how does it foster community and enhance one’s feeling of well-being?
• A person’s ability to speak may be impaired after experiencing a trauma. How can a bikur cholim visit help?
• Should you encourage a bikur cholim visitee to speak about what’s troubling him or her?
|
Both Keynote Presentations available on DVD! If you could not attend the conference, or if you did, relive the moment and share it with those you care about. Watch with family, friends, and bring it your synagogue. Order a DVD video of the keynote presentations by both Rabbi Glatt and Dr. Pelcovitz. “Dr. Pelcovitz’s stories are profoundly educational and touch the heart.” “Both guest speakers were excellent” The DVD runs approximately 90 minutes. Cost: $10. To order, contact: (212) 632-4730 or |
2009 Conference Workshops:
“Inspiration, ideas, practical skills & tools were in abundance”
MORNING WORKSHOPS 10:30-12:00
Essential Visiting Skills: The How To’s
Rosa Roberts, LCSW, Consultant, Rita J. Kaplan Jewish Connections Programs/JBFCS
Basic practical skills to help you approach visiting with confidence; what makes a visit successful, how to begin and end a visit, visiting do’s and don’ts and what to say and not to say.
[Download Workshop Handout PDF]- For Teens Only: Our Visions, Our Voices, Our Visits
Marilyn Klein, Founder, Josh Klein Bikkur Cholim, Harrisburg, PA
Teens can make a difference in the lives of people they visit. Explore through discussion and role-play how to get the most out of visiting, have fun and bring friends! - Constructing an Effective Synagogue Visiting Program
Judy Boehr, Chair Social Action, Congregation Sons of Israel, Westchester • Deborah Polinsky, LCSW, Coordinator Mensch Squad, Kane Street Synagogue, Brooklyn • Sheva Tauby, Co-Director, iVolunteer, NY • Stan Smith, Founder, Bikur Cholim South Palm Beach County
What inspires us and prepares us for the task of organizing a group? What are key components of an effective program? Exchange ideas with those doing the work of organizing and learn about different models of support.
[Download Workshop Handout 1 PDF]
[Download Workshop Handout 2 PDF]
[Download Workshop Handout 3 PDF] - Metaphors and Meaning in Bikur Cholim
Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub, LCSW, Rabbinic Director, New York Jewish Healing Center/JBFCS
A range of metaphors make their way into and out of experiences of illness, suffering, and healing. After identifying some metaphors in Jewish texts that deal with disease, disruption and stress, we will explore challenges in bikur cholim interactions that can be addressed through the reframing, or substitution of these metaphors.
[Download Workshop Handout PDF] - Filling in the Gaps – Visiting with Seniors
Alan Magill, Director of Programming, Ateret Avot
What are “meaningful interactions” with people with dementia and age-related memory loss? Sharpen your listening skills. Learn varied communication techniques. Discover the joy in connecting with those who may be hard to reach.
[Download Workshop Handout PDF] - Lessons from the Chaplaincy, on Prayer
Rabbi Daniel Coleman, Staff Chaplain, Department of Pastoral Care & Education, North Shore University Hospital, LI
How do you pray and what do you pray for with someone who is ill? Learn to craft custom-made prayers (“spontaneous prayers”) and discover the art of prayer. Explore the possibility of offering unstructured prayers spoken spontaneously as you react, engage, and respond to individuals you encounter.
[Download Workshop Handout PDF] - Comics and Stories from Bikur Cholim
Robert Lebowitz, MSW, Published Cartoonist and Illustrator
How can you use cartooning to teach about bikur cholim? Learn the basics of how to draw your own cartoon and encourage others to share their story. For parents, teachers and kids-at-heart. No art background needed.
[Download Workshop Handout PDF] - Turn to Me
Malcolm Frouman, BCCC Executive Committee Member • Suri Nisker, a principal and visitor in the film • Eileen Berry Harahan, Shoroshim, Reston VA
View this 27-minute documentary film on bikur cholim followed by a Q&A discussion. Learn how this inspiring film is put to use to benefit the community. Directed by Academy Award nominee Murray Nossel, with commentary by Elie Wiesel and Tsvi Blanchard.
 |
 |
 |
“Many people pearls of wisdom... lovely people with similar goals... community across synagogues states, denominations”
AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS 1:45-3:15- Visiting with Someone at End of Life
Rabbi Charles Rudansky, Rabbinic Liaison, Metropolitan Jewish Health System, Dept. of Hospice and Palliative Care, Rabbi, Shaarei Tikvah, Mamaroneck, NY
We can be a companion to those who are dying. Learn skills for staying present, handling our own fears, and using spiritual resources to create healing and connection.
[Download Workshop Handout PDF] - Using the Telephone for Visiting
Sandra Cohen, LCSW, Director, CheeRing/JBFCS
From your cell, work, or home phone you can bring comfort and support and make a difference in someone’s life. Learn how to make an effective visit to a homebound person “What do I say?” “What if there’s silence?” “How will I respond to...?” These and other questions will be addressed.
[Download Workshop Handout PDF] - Fostering Caring Communities in Challenging Times
Jeannie Blaustein, PhD., D.Min, Chair Bikkur Cholim, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun • Susan J. Rosenthal, LCSW, Program Manager, Manhattan, Riverdale and Brownstone Brooklyn Connect to Care Center/JBFCS
How can we foster and sustain caring communities when our whole environment has been challenged? Individuals and families confronting illness are doubly stressed. This workshop will explore how synagogues have found opportunity amidst these challenges and will also describe the way UJA-Federation of New York’s Connect to Care Initiative is valuable in supporting resilience in challenging times.
[Download Workshop Handout 1 PDF]
[Download Workshop Handout 2 PDF]
[Download Workshop Handout 3 PDF]
[Download Workshop Handout 4 PDF]
[Download Workshop Handout 5 PDF] - In Search of Sanity in an Upside-Down World
Rabbi Jay Yaacov Schwartz, MA, LMSW, Founder and Director, Jewish Wellness Center, LI; Rabbi, South Nassau Communities Hospital, LI
Under great stress or illness one’s focus may narrow from pain. Is yishuv hadaat (peace of mind), expansiveness, attainable? Taste some remedies from the chassidic teachings of Rebbe Nachman and learn how to map out the route to freedom and sanity.
[Download Workshop Handout 1 PDF]
[Download Workshop Handout 2 PDF] - Caring for the Caregiver
Anna Kirshblum, LCSW, Shira Ruskay Center, JBCFS
When life circumstances bring the responsibility for another person’s life on your shoulders, feeling overwhelmed and overextended are normal. Learn tips for recognizing symptoms of burnout and strategies to avoid exhaustion, and strategies for recharging and creating moments of peace.
[Download Workshop Handout 1 PDF]
[Download Workshop Handout 2 PDF]
[Download Workshop Handout 3 PDF] - Ethical Wills — Passing on Our Legacy
Helene Jaffa, Esq., Eldercare Lawyer, Private Practice
Communicating with others through writing what we believe, value and hold dear is our legacy to those we love. Learn how to document these messages for ourselves and help those we visit do the same. Journals provided.
[Download Workshop Handout PDF] 
Comics and Stories from Bikur Cholim
Robert Lebowitz, MSW, Published Cartoonist and Illustrator
See AM workshop- Honoring Ourselves and Honoring Our Work
Ruth Rosenblum, LCSW, Westchester Jewish Community Services Partners-in-Caring Program; Psychotherapist
Gain tools for self care, insight and self-awareness through Jewish meditation, mindfulness, and guided imagery. Enhance your effectiveness as a visitor.
[Download Workshop Handout 1 PDF]
[Download Workshop Handout 2 PDF]
|
Did you enjoy the conference? Were you unable to attend but want to share in the mitzvah? Your donation supports the Rabbi Isaac N. Trainin Bikur Cholim Coordinating Council in offering technical assistance and training to start and sustain Bikur Cholim programs. The Council publishes training manuals, a Directory of Bikur Cholim programs, a newsletter, a variety of books and pamphlets, maintains a website with educational resources and produced a documentary film on bikur cholim. We sponsor an annual conference to provide an opportunity for those interested in bikur cholim to learn valuable skills and to network with others. All contributions count. |
| Thank you to our executive committee members who contributed to the success of this day. Special thanks to: Robyn Blumner, Malcolm Frouman, Chava Rose and Stacie Thaw. |
In the News
Bikur Cholim of South Palm Beach County News, November 2009.
Summary of the conference and tips for leaders. An example of a great was to marketing your bikur cholim program!
©2011 Rabbi Isaac N. Trainin Bikur Cholim Coordinating Council
135 West 50th Street, 6th Floor · New York, NY 10020
Phone: (212) 632-4730 · Fax: (212) 399-2475 ·
[JBFCS site] [Jewish Connections Programs]