by Nina Henry, JCFS Chicago Addiction Specialist

With much of the world shut down, loneliness has become a familiar facet of everyday life, especially for older Americans living alone, in nursing homes, or retirement communities.

When you have worked your whole life and a progression of circumstances place you in financial distress, some guidance and support go a long way toward security. After more than 20 years as an attorney with the same company, Barbara was laid off. On the recommendation of her rabbi, Barbara came to JVS Career & Employment for help finding a better paying job that was close to home and a good fit for her skills.

Elana Boiskin, former Jewish Chaplaincy Program Coordinator of JCFS was presented the distinguished Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies (MAJPS) at Spertus Institute’s commencement ceremony on December 9, 2018. Elana was among 17 Jewish communal professionals and scholars from across North America who were also awarded this prestigious degree.

When you have worked your whole life and a progression of circumstances place you in financial distress, some guidance and support go a long way toward security. After more than 20 years as an attorney with the same company, Barbara was laid off. On the recommendation of her rabbi, Barbara came to JVS Chicago for help finding a better paying job that was close to home and a good fit for her skills.

What is spirituality?  It is broad with room for many views.  It is a term with many definitions: Love, light, culture, hope, soul, harmony, meaning, theology, and religion.  It often refers to a connection to something greater than us.  These are just a few of the concepts that come to mind when we talk about spirituality. 

You enter the labor force, you work until a certain age, and you retire. Or maybe you don’t. More and more people are working into their later years, a trend that is expected to continue. People are working later in life for a number of reasons. In April, Richard Foxman turned to JVS Career & Employment, part of JCFS’s family of services that specializes in career and employment, to help him navigate the job market—something he hasn’t had to do in more than a decade.

Serious illness and loss often force us to confront big questions such as “Why did this illness happen to me?” The illness, loss and spiritual support at JCFS Chicago and The Lauri S. Bauer Foundation For Sudden Loss’ 6th Annual Conference Help, Healing and Hope Conference featured Rabbi Anne Brener, LCSW, presenting “Navigating The Wilderness Of Loss: Reframing The Spiritual Journey of Grief.” Using text, meditation and expressive healing techniques, Rabbi Brener provided insights into these big questions.

Helping the World See My Sister the Way I See Her

By Renee Birnberg Silberman

My sister is the most emotionally intelligent person I know. Our mother liked to tell me Estella was so smart, but I brushed her statements aside for most of my young and young adult life. After all, she had been tested as having lower than average intelligence, and the doctors told my parents (over half a century ago) that the best place for her to grow up was in a nun-run facility in Wisconsin.

Winter is supposed to be a time filled with holidays, happiness, and the warmth of family gatherings. But what if you or a loved one, are feeling depressed, isolated and alone?

According to a 2014 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, between 2012 and 2050, the United States will experi­ence considerable growth in its older population (the report defined older population as age 65 and older). The baby boomers are largely responsible for this increase as they began turning 65 in 2011. By 2050, the surviving baby boomers will be over the age of 85.