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Spiritual Care Services

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At JFCS, we take a holistic approach towards caring for members of our community. In supporting people through life’s various challenges, we attend to the needs of the mind, body, and spirit. Guided by values and principles central to the Jewish tradition, and open to people of all backgrounds and faiths, our Spiritual Care Services Program provides comfort to individuals and families by addressing the emotional, psychological, and spiritual concerns that may arise during difficult life transitions.

Spiritual Care Services is fully integrated into the array of programs offered through JFCS—from Seniors At Home to Parents Place to Palliative and End-of-Life Care—thereby enhancing our direct services and offering an extra level of support and compassion to those in need.

Bereavement and Healing Program

Coping with the loss of a loved one may be one of the hardest experiences we face in our lifetime. Whether expected or unanticipated, the death of a close relative or dear friend can have a profound effect on us. Our Bereavement and Healing Program is here to help individuals and families of all faiths and backgrounds who are experiencing such grief and loss. We provide one-on-one support that allows those in mourning to express their feelings openly and to explore the practical, psychological, and spiritual issues that often arise at these times.

In addition to individual counseling, JFCS offers eight-week bereavement support groups that give mourners the opportunity to seek solace and healing with others who have also experienced a significant loss. Both individual and group sessions are led by the bereavement specialists at JFCS.

Rabbinic Services

In addition to working directly with community members through our Seniors At Home, Parents Place, and Palliative and End-of-Life Care programs, JFCS provides many additional services to staff, clients, and programs throughout all of our regions. Among them:

  • Classes and workshops on various topics in Jewish thought and practice at Cafe by the Bay events for Holocaust survivors, at Tenderloin Luncheons, and at JFCS study groups
  • Spiritual leadership during Jewish holiday events and celebrations for staff, clients, and community members
  • Memorial and funeral services for recently deceased JFCS clients
  • Rabbinic leadership at JFCS’ Volunteer Services functions
  • Jewish education and service learning for teens in JFCS' YouthFirst programs

 

 

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Director of Spiritual Care Services
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Rabbi Daniel Isaacson holds a bachelor's degree in religion from Dartmouth College. He received a master's degree and his rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York. During his rabbinic training, he lived and studied in Israel for four years. Prior to JFCS, Daniel trained and worked as an interfaith chaplain at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and as a spiritual care counselor for Pathways Hospice, both in the East Bay.

Contact: 

Rabbi Daniel Isaacson, Director of Spiritual Care Services; 415-449-3879; DanielI@jfcs.org

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