'What Matters' is Semifinalist in Lippman Kanfer Prize for Applied Jewish Wisdom

"Plaza is most appreciative of our partners in 'What Matters' for assisting us in preparing this award application and especially to program director Sally Kaplan for her expertise and guidance," said Stephanie Garry, CAO of Plaza Jewish Community Chapel. "We are also honored to be a part of such a thoughtful list of semifinalists," Garry added. Finalists will be selected in October, and prizes will be awarded at a ceremony in December. See programs profile here.

"What Matters" is a unique partnership between Plaza Jewish Community Chapel (the program's funder), JCC Manhattan, The Jewish Theological Seminary and The New Jewish Home, to foster open and honest conversations within the Jewish community regarding end-of-life issues. The program facilitates one-on-one conversations, provides innovative programming and trains and certifies a network of volunteers in a variety of Jewish settings. As a result, more New York adults, across the spectrum of Jewish religious observance, have the opportunity to learn about, discuss with family and friends, and complete advance care planning directives, with access to Jewish wisdom.  

"What Matters" adapts the Gundersen Health System's Respecting Choices® model for the Jewish community of New York. Gundersen's Respecting Choices® model is often called the "gold standard in advance planning initiatives." It was originally designed to be a clinically administered program for the people of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, where after launch, 96 percent of residents had an advance care plan compared to the national average of 25 percent. Through such effectiveness, it has spread to organizations and communities, large and small, across the U.S. and abroad. "What Matters" adapts the Respecting Choices® model by creating informational materials, resources, and training components that elevate end-of-life care conversations, the number of completed advance care plans, and Jewish values, teachings, and culture. 

To learn more, visit the official webpage of "What Matters":
http://www.jccmanhattan.org/jewish-living/advanced-care-planning/

About JCC Manhattan

Together with our community, JCC Manhattan creates opportunities for people to connect, grow, and learn within an ever-changing Jewish landscape.  

JCC Manhattan imagines Jewish life that is diverse and engages meaningfully with its values, culture, and ideas in everyday lives.

One of our goals is to be the "community's living room" for important conversations regarding important issues. With a longstanding history of serving as the crossroads for a diverse and expansive group of people on the Upper West Side, the JCC is well-positioned to convene the advance care planning initiative with JTS and The New Jewish Home. The JCC has deep connections to the older adult population in the community, and vast experience in embracing and engaging the community in rich and meaningful opportunities. We are all strengthened by collaboration, and JCC's leadership believes that by knowing the strengths, interests, challenges, and needs of our neighborhood partners we are all better equipped to serve those who live amongst us.

About The New Jewish Home

The New Jewish Home has a 166-year history of providing innovative, comprehensive elder care in the New York metropolitan area, serving individuals across various religious affiliations, ethnicities, age groups and payment sources. We provide services to support health, individuality, and dignity. As a leader in the elder care sector, The New Jewish Home staff routinely engages in the topic of advance directives with the thousands of elders served each year. Our expertise in this area, as well as our longstanding partnerships with NYU Langone Medical Center and Mount Sinai Hospital, provides both teaching hospitals with nationally recognized palliative care programs, and invaluable access to thought-leaders and practitioners in the end-of-life arena.  

About The Center for Pastoral Education at JTS

The Center for Pastoral Education at JTS is at the forefront of training seminarians, clergy and lay leaders to provide in-depth spiritual care to people in need. We have a special focus on training religious leaders to engage in conversations about death and dying with clients and families, respecting the broad range of backgrounds and attitudes. Our faculty has a depth of Jewish knowledge, which will enable us to train facilitators to invite participants into thoughtful conversation around their religious concerns related to end-of-life care. Facilitators who are grounded in Jewish and pastoral approaches will be able to provide participants with knowledge of the tradition while helping them achieve their own integration of traditional and personal concerns as they make end-of-life decisions.  

About Plaza Jewish Community Chapel

Plaza's mission is to ensure that every member of the Jewish Community receives a dignified and respectful Jewish funeral; to lower the high cost of funerals by eliminating the profit motive and commercialism so often associated with the funeral industry; and to provide appropriate connections to Jewish communal resources that the bereaved may need to cope with emotional or practical problems.

Plaza's educational programs support those working in end-of-life as well as students in religious schools and seniors in a variety of settings. We provide programming in hospitals and hospice facilities and provide financial assistance to the community in a variety of ways.  

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SOURCE Plaza Jewish Community Chapel

Related Links

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