Unique Volunteer Opportunity to Bring Comfort to the Sick and Lonely

Discover a remarkable and life-changing opportunity to bring comfort, spiritual solace and joy to people in need. For the fourth consecutive year, The Jewish Chaplaincy Program and Jewish Volunteer Center are seeking volunteers for the Refuat Ha-Nefesh Spiritual Care Program.

Open to those age 18 and older, the Refuat Ha-Nefesh Spiritual Care Program offers practical training on the mitzvah of bikur cholim (visiting the sick) and compassionate visits to people who are lonely or ill. Professional instruction and resources are provided in a group setting by rabbis, doctors and social workers, with topics including the Jewish philosophy in visiting the ill; issues and concerns facing the elderly; Jewish perspective on end-of-life issues and death; Jewish healing rituals; how to handle dementia and depression in seniors with compassion; Jewish medical ethics and more. In addition, participants are able to enjoy three hours a week of hands-on volunteerism in the community.

Beginning November 12, 2012, the program runs through May 13, 2013. Training takes place bi-monthly on Monday evenings at Federation’s Stanley C. Myers Building, 4200 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami. Certificates are awarded upon completion and the training is free of charge.

For more information or to apply, contact the Jewish Volunteer Center at 786.866.8414 or Volunteer@JewishMiami.org. The application deadline is October 31, 2012.

What past participants have said about the Refuat Ha-Nefesh program:

• “You go out to visit someone new and you find a new part of yourself.”
• "You will encounter a new part of your future as you listen to the hopes and fears of those fighting health battles.”
• “My challenge is to bring some Jewish spiritual feeling into my visits. I feel blessed with the opportunity to spend time with my new elderly friends and allow their memories to become my memories and share in the wisdom and warmth of their lives.”