“Happy New Year, and may you be inscribed in the book of life.”
Well-meaning words — yet for those who are struggling with illness or approaching the season having recently lost a loved one, the words may sting and the holidays may loom painfully.
Spiritual-care programs in New York and Israel that offer a process of spiritual healing drawn from Judaism — its rituals, liturgy, and commitment to community — can offer solace at this time of year.
“While every holiday and other kinds of significant days marked by family and communal gatherings are difficult for those who are newly bereaved, the Days of Awe, with the themes of life and death, present a particular challenge,” says Rabbi Stephanie Dickstein, spiritual care coordinator of Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, a beneficiary agency of UJA-Federation. “Joining with others who share similar experiences at this time, in a supportive setting, is often helpful in returning some ‘sweetness’ to the New Year.”
UJA-Federation’s Jewish Healing and Hospice Alliance in New York and Spiritual Care Initiative in Israel offer the bereaved, cancer patients, and family members High Holiday programs that bring comfort through singing, meditation, and the reading of sacred poems.
The B’Ruach (By Spirit) program in Israel also publishes Rosh HaShanah cards that include texts from prayers, poems, liturgy, and literature.