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Rabbi Chaya Gusfield

Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, Jewish Renewal, rabbi, spiritual director, chaplain

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Archive

Workshops

2020-2021: Spiritual Writing Group Facilitator

Designed and facilitated spiritual writing group in support of Jewish immigration activists, hospice staff, spiritual direction groups, and in support of Prayer as Medicine class.

2006 – Present: Spiritual Direction Group Facilitator

Designed and facilitated a variety of spiritual direction groups, using creative expression, sacred texts, and other modalities:

  • For empty nesters
  • Exploring Psalms
  • Using sacred Jewish prayers or texts as prompts for writing
  • For synagogue committees
  • At holy days to help deepen the experience
  • For healing and resilience using writing
  • For tending to day-to-day heartache

2006-2008 Spiritual Grief Group Facilitator

Designed and facilitated several ongoing spiritual bereavement groups for members of Kehilla Community Synagogue.

2001 to present: Spiritual Director for Individuals

  • Serving individuals of all walks of life.
  • Faculty of HUC Spiritual Direction program serving rabbinical students (since 2020)
  • Faculty of Hashpa’ah Program of Aleph serving rabbinical, cantorial, rabbinic pastor, and hashpa’ah (spiritual direction) students (since 2019)

2011, 2018 – 2019: Designed and Taught Torahscope Class

Led Torah study class using the birth parasha (portion) of each student at Beth Chaim Congregation and Kehilla Community Synagogue, introducing students how to find themselves in the text.

Since 2008: Speaker and Ritual Leader at various Suicide Prevention conferences

  • Grief ritual for those who are survivors of family suicide.
  • Spoke on reducing the stigma of suicide in the Jewish tradtion.

Presentations

February 2021: Presenter, National Partnership of Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) Monthly Forum

Using Creative Expression to Find Meaning in our Work and Lives. (interactive). NPHI is a not-for-profit voice for advanced illnesses, hospice, and palliative care. The forums are attended by Hospice Chaplains, Social Workers, and Bereavement Counselor Managers.

February 2021: Presenter, Staff Meeting: Hope Health Hospice, Rhode Island  (Chaplains and Social Workers).

Using Creative Expression to Find Meaning in Everyday Heartbreak. (interactive)

January 2021: Guest Rabbi, Minyan Makers, Taube Center, Poland. 

What do Jewish sources teach us about healing and supporting the sick? Minyan Makers is a program of The Taube Center for the Renewal of Jewish Life in Poland and the Northern California Board of Rabbis.

2016 – 2020: Panelist on Welcome to the Cancer Café Solo Performance by Judith C. Dambowic

As a Palliative Care chaplain and partner of the author and performer of the show, participated in educational events on panels following the show at numerous venues including Stanford, UCSF, Kehilla Community Synagogue, Bone Marrow Transplant conferences, Cancer Support Community, MarshStream, and local coffee houses throughout the country. Often speak and write about being a family member of someone with a terminal illness, especially having been a medical provider myself.

2008 – Present: Presenter, Annual OHALAH Conference (Jewish Renewal Rabbis, Cantors, and Rabbinic Pastors)

  • Teaching Jewish Liturgy as Medicine through Writing, Let’s Get Personal (interactive)
  • Saying Kaddish for a Someone who Took their Own Life-Relooking at Jewish Law
  • Spiritual support for families in crisis during turbulent times: Creative pastoral care beyond the “caregiver/patient” paradigm
  • Working as a chaplain in an interfaith setting: bringing our full Jewish wisdom to the work
  • Redefining success in the B’nei Mitzvah journey: Creating a sacred community of Spirit/Reflection/Torah and Love in a 7th grade Religious School classroom
  • How to design and facilitate a spiritual grief support group (for Jewish Spiritual Directors)

Classes

2014 – 2020: Guest Rabbi/Teacher for Chaplain Students at Kaiser Hospital, San Leandro, and Alta Bates Summit Hospital Spiritual Care Departments

  • Working with Jewish patients and families
  • How to use writing with patients to assist them in finding meaning in their illness journey.
  • Listening deeply to the spiritual language of the religious and the non-religious
  • Using writing to process the work of chaplaincy

2017 – 2019: Communications Teacher, Kaiser Oakland Hospital, Summer Student Internship Program.

Taught skills for better communication using role-play and practice.

Jewish/Buddhist Offerings

2011 to Present: Designed and co-led Jewish Buddhist Workshops and Rosh Hashanah Services with Dharma Teacher and Musician Eve Decker

  • Kehilla Second Day Contemplative Rosh Hashanah Services for 9  years
  • Preparing for High Holy Days workshops
  • Workshops on working with difficult emotions
  • Healing services
  • Healing Havdallah

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