For members of the Jewish Community
who are shut ins, facing hospital stays, or residents of secular
nursing homes and assisted living residences, connecting to the
Jewish world can be a challenge. The JERI (Jewish Eldercare of
Rhode Island) Outreach Program enlists a team of staff members
and volunteers who realize that spirituality is critical to the
happiness, and even survival, of our elderly. To that aim, JERI
staff members regularly visit nursing home residents to observe
traditions and holidays, conduct religious services and programs. 
Reaching Out. Touching Lives.
Additionally, JERI introduces nursing homes’ staffs
to Jewish observances, traditions, and dietary customs so that they can
be more responsive to the special needs of their Jewish residents.
For volunteers interested in taking on
the mitzvah of visiting the elderly in nursing homes or in private
residences, the JSA offers the CHAVER curriculum. CHAVER (Caring Helpers
and Visitors Empower Residents) is a program that gives volunteers
the skills and understanding they need to become spiritually friendly
visitors. The eight-week course covers secular and Jewish issues, preparing
volunteers to respond to the physical, mental, and spiritual needs
of the people they visit.
At any given time, JERI staff and volunteers
are conducting Shabbat services, Passover Seders, and distributing
gifts to hundreds of seniors statewide.
For more information about the JERI Outreach
Program, or to touch the lives of Jewish seniors by becoming a JERI
or CHAVER volunteer, call Susan Adler, Director, or Ethan Adler, Assistant
Director, at 401-621-5374 or email Susan at or
Ethan at . |
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