Love is as strong as death: Meeting the pastoral needs of the Jewish hospice patient

Dershowitz A : The Vanishing American Jew. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1997: 1.

Gordon A : Reaching out to the Orthodox Jewish community. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care. 1997; 14(3): 144. Note: Those seeking to serve Orthodox Jewish patients should follow Gordon’s strategy of gaining the cooperation or endorsement of a recognized Orthodox authority for their hospice program. Such an endorsement can overcome many concerns frequently voiced by Orthodox Jews at the time of referral.

Kushner H : A Jewish Theology of Death. Paper presented at the Spirituality & Healing in Medicine Conference, Harvard University, December 12-14, 1998.

The most comprehensive study of Jewish traditions on life after death available in English is Jewish Views on the Afterlife by Simcha Paull Raphael. A number of modern (including secular) perspectives are brought together in Jewish Reflections on Death by Jack Reimer.

Jewish thinkers have, from time to time, attempted to assign a doctrinal status to what Jews believe about the afterlife. The most famous of these attempts is the Thirteen Principles of Faith, formulated by the medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides (also mentioned in the text of this article). Maimonides included a belief in the resurrection of the dead as one of the doctrines that a faithful Jew must affirm. While the thirteen principles are a popular point of departure for discussing Jewish beliefs, neither they nor the doctrine of resurrection have enjoyed anything close to universal acceptance.

This viewpoint reflects positions taken by all the contemporary branches of Judaism, although individuals and non-religious Jewish organizations may disagree.

Washofsky M : Why Judaism opposes assisted suicide. Reform Judaism. Summer 1997: 65.

Dershowitz: op cit., 1997: 2

Phillips B : Sociological analysis of Jewish identity. Jewish Identity in America. Los Angeles: Wilstein Institute, 1991: 3-25.

Dudley J , et al. : Unfinished business: Assessing the spiritual needs of hospice clients. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care. 1995; 12(2): 30-37.

The Hebrew transliteration of the prayer reads Sh’-ma Yis-ra-el, A-do-nai E-lo-heinu, A-do-nai E-chad. On the Doorposts of Your House, a popular prayer book of the Reform movement, contains transliterations of most significant liturgical Jewish prayers, as well as many personal prayers and meditations suitable for the ill.

A cantor is a clergyperson whose expertise is in Jewish liturgy, public worship, and music. Though pastoral work is not conventionally part of a cantor’s duties, I have had the privilege of working with cantors who bring tremendous pastoral presence to the patient’s bedside.

The greatest food-related issue, of course, is Jewish dietary law (Heb: Kashrut). For a Jew who keeps kosher, the prohibitions and rules are extensive. Even trained dietary professionals have difficulty keeping track of these laws if they do not keep kosher themselves. Of critical importance is that hospice dietary workers listen carefully to the needs of the patient and their family in this regard. Again, a rabbi can be your best guide.

Huguey W : Pastoral issues in the care of terminal cancer patients. The Pastoral Role in Caring for the Dying and Bereaved. New York: Praeger, 1986: 111-126.