On Thursday, November 13, at the Holiday Inn JFK Jamaica, New York, 38 hospices from 13 states gathered together for a National Institute for Jewish Hospice accreditation conference. Ninety nurses, social workers, clergy and administrators spent from 8:30 until 6:p.m. Learning “How to Care for the Jewish Terminally Ill." Speakers included: • Dr. Barry Kinzbrunner, oncologist - “Jewish Medical Ethics” • Bobbi Rubens, Social worker – “It’s Not Just Kosher Food” • James Joyce, Marketing Director – “Marketing the Jewish in Jewish Hospice” • Dr. Samuel Klagsbrun, Psychiatrist – “Connecting to the Dying” • Rabbi Maurice Lamm, - “The Practical Art of Jewish Hospice” • Rabbi Stephen Shulman, Chaplain – “Reaching out to Unaffiliated or Alienated Jewish Patients and Families” It was the largest accreditation conference since this program began five years ago. Some of the evaluation comments were: " It was a great conference and I am leaving energized to go do this work. Thank you for all your time and energy.” “Great thought process to make us more aware of Jewish community”. “Excellent conference. Best one yet. Excellent speakers. Looking forward to next year!” “Continue to be the good resource you are and to be available.” “I appreciated the sense of being involved in a multidisciplinary in service/conference.” “This is my third recertification and each time has been better than the last!” “This was my first visit and I enjoyed it immensely.” “I’m grateful to learn of the “hotline” for all employees regarding questions that come up for our Jewish patients.” “One of the most beneficial aspects of this course was the review of physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of issues related to Jewish patients and families.” “This conference reinforced my commitment to developing Jewish hospice services in my community”. “What a wealth of knowledge under one roof!”

An e-mail received the day after the conference: Mrs. Lamm, Three of our clinical staff returned on Monday from your training filled with enthusiasm. Our next step will be to contact the 3 synagogues in our area by telephone and by letter prior to running our ad to communicate with the larger community that Hospice of Lancaster County has been awarded accreditation by National Institute for Jewish Hospice. Question 1: Do you have a letter that would help us communicate more effectively with the 3 synagogues in Lancaster County about our accreditation? (We sent him a “letter to the rabbi”.) Question 2: Do you have an advertisement copy that we could use so that we do this correctly? We sent him a sample copy of an ad for the local newspapers.I am absolutely thrilled about our joining the Jewish community in Lancaster County as it will legitimize our mission to provide care and comfort to help patients and families live better at end of life. Sincerely,Tom Dodge, BCC Director of Spiritual Care Hospice of Lancaster County,Pennsylvania

An e-mail concerning a holocaust survivor Dear Mrs Lamm, I recently attended your Jewish Hospice Seminar (Nov 13) and just last week had a patient who was a child in captivity in the holocaust. His mother actually gave birth to their 3rd child during their captivity. I felt able to help him because of attending your seminar. He jumped when I touched his arm and then it dawned on me that he was probably fearful because of his past experiences. The only thing I could think of was to pray at his bedside for G-d to give him peace and read him the Psalms. He died within 48 hours of coming to us. However, when he came he was walking and talking. I felt he did get peace because he seemed to sleep peacefully not restless and tormented. Thank you so much for all the information I received when I visited your seminar. Ethel Heinemann Lehigh Valley Hospice

There were also valuable suggestions that we plan to evaluate and implement for the next conference in November 2009. Aside from the lecturers the conference included a mini-breakfast and catered lunch. At the end of the day all individuals attending received a certificate attesting to the fact that they had attended the conference. All hospices received an accreditation certificate acknowledging their attendance and testifying to the fact that they are now under the umbrella of the National Institute for Jewish Hospice. Please click on “Locate an NIJH Accredited Hospice” to see our roster of hospices.Watch this column for news about new Jewish issues involving hospice care. Shirley Lamm Exec. Dir. NIJH shirlamm@nijh.org.