Working Together to Fight Isolation

After hosting a High Holiday service at Porter Place Retirement Community, Rabbi Rick Brody, Baskin Jewish Community Chaplain, met Greta, an enthusiastic, worldly, educated 93-year-old. They spent time talking about where she grew up, her family, and her career as a travel agent.

Sarah, JFS para-chaplain

A couple of months into the pandemic, Tricia, a chaplain at Porter Place, reached out to Rabbi Rick to see if he could meet with Greta. The pandemic had left her isolated and lonely, not the enthusiastic individual he remembered. At first, they spoke on the phone, and then virtually through Zoom. She was happy for the time they spent together. In addition to receiving spiritual support from a rabbi, Greta also wanted to talk to someone in Yiddish. Knowing that this would lift her spirits, Rabbi Rick and Nancy Benyamin, director of Volunteer Services, spoke about what they could do to meet Greta’s needs. After some research, Nancy found her the perfect match—Sarah, a Denver lawyer, who has a PhD in German and specialized in Yiddish.

Sarah is now a JFS para-chaplain and chats with Greta every week. Greta has even virtually joined Sarah and her family for the lighting of Shabbat candles and as they baked hamantashen cookies, giving them advice on how to shape the dough. Not only has the relationship helped Greta through isolation, but the conversations have filled a void and reconnected her to memories of her parents and grandparents.

If you or someone you know would like spiritual care, learn more about the Baskin Jewish Community Chaplaincy Program.