CLIENT Spotlight
JFS’s Community Rabbi Provides Spiritual Support in Times of Need As Glenn’s condition worsened, the family decided to move him out of the hospital and into hospice care. It was then that Jessica knew she had to find a solution. She asked the hospital chaplain if he knew of a rabbi she could call. She was referred to JFS’s community chaplain, Rabbi Rick Brody. “I was really worried that because my parents were unaffiliated, they would be judged,” she says. “But from that first phone call, Rabbi Brody was warm, welcoming, kind,
“ ...Rabbi Brody was warm, welcoming, kind, and compassionate. He was eager to support us in any way possible—without judgment.” —Jessica Allen Rabbi Rick Brody and Jessica Allen
Last March, Jessica Allen was faced with a
dilemma. Her father was facing certain death and she had no idea where she would find a rabbi who could put him to rest in a way that would honor his life and Jewish faith. It was important to her and her family that that he be buried in a Jewish cemetery following Jewish rituals. For her mother, Sharon, who was losing her husband of 50 years, it was mandatory. Glenn Runyan, of blessed memory, suffered from serious gastrointestinal issues and started to decline last fall. Jessica suspects that he had stomach cancer. It reached the point that he stopped eating. Jessica believes that he was in denial and wouldn’t accept that he was as sick as he was. Glenn Runyan The family was not affiliated with a local synagogue, though Glenn and Sharon regularly attended services at Shalom Park. They were very fond of the rabbi there and Jessica assumed he would handle her father’s funeral. Those plans changed when the rabbi moved out of town. Suddenly there was no rabbi lined up who could perform her father’s funeral.
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FA M I LY M AT T E R S FA L L 2019
and compassionate. He was eager to support us in any way possible—without judgment.” The JFS Community Chaplaincy provides direct spiritual care for unaffiliated members of the Jewish community who are ill, in crisis, or near the end of their lives—in hospitals, nursing homes, mental health institutions, correctional facilities, or at home. Whether it’s a funeral, kosher meal, or spiritual counsel, Rabbi Brody is available to anyone in need of pastoral care, but who may not be affiliated with a synagogue. There is tremendous need for a rabbi to serve our community. There are an estimated 60,000 unaffiliated Jews out of 85,000 people who identify as Jewish in the Denver metro area. When they are facing a crisis, they need somewhere to turn. Many people who have pastoral needs don’t feel comfortable reaching out to a synagogue to which they don’t belong. Rabbis from the various synagogues simply don’t have the capacity to handle all the requests they get from those outside of their congregations. It’s a void that can leave people without spiritual support at a time when they need it most. Rabbi Brody fills that need, offering prayer, counsel, and empathic pastoral care to those who are ill, facing the end of their lives, or who have lost a loved one. He provides an affirming, listening presence that can help those in crisis connect with their faith. JFS, with the support of
