Basics of Jewish spiritual and pastoral care - part 1 - Single View

This course is a basic introduction to the foundations of safe and spiritually informed professional practice of leaders in the Jewish community. We will draw on biblical and rabbinic texts as much as seeking guidance and employ frameworks from psychotherapeutic methods, sociology and communication theory.

In engaging and creative ways, we will address two sets of questions:

1 - What do we mean by Spiritual and Pastoral Care in relation to Jewish life and congregational religious leadership? Where and when do pastoral matters arise and what are traditional and contemporary insights and values that underpin a Jewish, caring approach to anticipated life cycle events as well as to unexpected personal or communal moments of transition, change, loss, trauma or crisis.

2 - What practical skills, personal qualities and ethical standards do Jewish professionals have to exercise in order to promote and preserve the emotional and spiritual well-being of both their congregants and the Jewish community as a whole?

Brudner, N. (2005), Caring – A Jewish Guide to Caregiving. Dorff, E. (2003), Matters of Life and Death. A Jewish Approach to Modern Medical Ethic. Friedman, D. (ed.) (2005), Jewish Pastoral Care (2nd revised and expanded edition).  Ganzfried, S., trans Goldin, H.E. (1963), Code of Jewish Law - Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. A Compilation of Jewish Laws and Customs. Kaplan Spitz, E. (2001), Does the Soul Survive? A Jewish Journey to Belief in Afterlife, Past Lives & Living with Purpose.  Katz, R. L. (1985), Pastoral Care and the Jewish Tradition. Weber, W. (2005), Wege zum helfenden Gespräch. Gesprächspsychotherapie in der Praxis. Marmet, O. (1996), Ich und du und so weiter. Kleine Einführung in die Sozialpsychologie. Peseschkian, N. (2002), Wenn du willst, was du noch nie gehabt hast, dann tu, was du noch nie getan hast.