In mid-November, my mother fractured her shoulder from a fall following a stroke. After a short hospitalization, she was sent to a rehab facility

The JCFS chaplaincy program develops its services based on this cultural, religious, historical, geographical, and emotional context within the Russian-speaking Jewish community.

JCFS Chicago’s chaplaincy program is a national leader in the emerging field of Jewish community chaplaincy. JCFS’s chaplaincy serves anyone in the Chicago area Jewish community who might benefit from the services.

The JCFS Chicago Endowment Foundation helps ensure the continuity of essential life sustaining programs and caring services that JCFS Chicago provides. As an Agency of the Jewish Federation/Jewish United Fund (JUF), JCFS Chicago established the Endowment Foundation, in partnership with JUF, to meet the growing needs of our community. 

What do Jewish chaplains do? The same as any chaplain, regardless of religious denomination. They care for the living, counsel those in need, or the most sacred work, honor the dead. Chaplains provide spiritual help and care for people who are suffering and need that type of support.

Did you know that our JCFS chaplains work with more than 16 senior communities in the greater Chicago area, with diversity and inclusion communities, and with more than 40 individual clients at a time?

There are many ways to affect healing. Jewish Law requires us to seek the best medical care we can.  But our Torah also recognizes that there are other paths to healing that walk hand-in-hand with medical care. 

Our lives have been turned upside down during this pandemic in one way or another. As we try to make sense of all this, we may find an underlying theme: Loss. Perhaps we can use some of the rich Jewish tradition of mourning loss as a framework to look at and maybe understand what we are experiencing.

The dedicated chaplains at JCFS Chicago are committed to uplifting community members. “We listen,” Rabbi Joseph S. Ozarowski said. “It’s all about relationships.” In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, these success stories illustrate those relationships and the journey of mental health.

The pandemic has left many people feeling isolated and alone. To ensure that our clients feel connected to their community and faith, JCFS Chicago’s Jewish community services swiftly transitioned support groups and their chaplaincy program to be virtual.