Each of us, at some point in our lives, will struggle with loss. For many, the experiences we have with death and grief—whether by a loved one’s bedside, at a funeral, or through a social media post—are among our most vulnerable and challenging moments. Yet, there is a healing power in community that can help us all on our paths through grief and loss. In fact, our Jewish tradition models a long history of collective mourning with rituals and guidance on how to provide comfort and care to those who are grieving.

However, for most of us, talking about grief, loss, illness, and death can be extremely uncomfortable, and that discomfort can make us turn inwards.

We search for the “right” way to grieve, struggle to find language that can accurately reflect complicated feelings, and even resist or forget to seek out the comfort and care of community.

The Bay Area Jewish Healing Center provides spiritual support and nurtures a community that sustains people on their paths through loss, mourning, and grief. We know that each person’s needs are unique so we offer a variety of programs ranging from one-on-one spiritual care from our rabbis, to events centered around communal support. Throughout all of our work, we aim to transform the isolation and anguish that people experience into compassion, connection, and resilience.

We have seen first-hand the deep impact that spiritual support can make in people’s lives- especially during their hardest times. And as we deepen our ability to respond as a community to grief, we can actually transform our relationship to illness, death, and loss and expand our capacity to care and be cared for.

At the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center, our ultimate vision is a beloved community where no one has to grieve alone.

For those who are grieving:

For schools and nonprofits:

For social service agencies, clinical settings, and legal professionals:

For publications and media:

  • Invite the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center to write, publish, or otherwise bring out the message of mainstreaming spiritual care to a broader audience. You may reach us at (415)750-4197 or email jewishhealing@bajhc.org.

For everyone:

  • Refer someone you know who is experiencing loss
  • Talk to us, and each other, about what you want from our community
  • Advocate within your organization, agency, friend or family circle
  • Volunteer to become an End-of-Life Kol Haneshama volunteer
  • Become an engaged donor
  • Engage with us through our mailing list, social media, and website