Pastoral Care: As a senior in high school when my bubbe was very sick, I took her hand and sang the Shema to her as she passed. In that moment, I knew that pastoral work was something I cared deeply about. I knew that sharing music with others as a conduit for spirituality during the intimate moments of their lives would be a transformative privilege. HUC-JIR gave me the opportunity to pursue clinical pastoral education (CPE) as part of my professional development electives.
CPE at MSK: My summer internship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) fulfilled 400 hours in 10 weeks. This included 8 hours of classes weekly, including lectures on bereavement, palliative care, breath work, forgiveness, and diverse faith beliefs. I also prepared verbatim reports (written records of what was said during my interactions with patients) for review by my supervisor and feedback from my peers. I shadowed full-time chaplains - a rabbi and an imam - on my first day. I was given helpful guidelines and then learned by doing and processing my experiences with my cohort.
Why MSK: I specifically chose MSK and its Breast-Gynecology floor in an effort to feel close to my late mentor from Camp Harlam, Rabbi Vicki Tuckman 03, z"l. She was treated at MSK and passed away just weeks before I left for my first year of studies in Israel. I continue to feel her presence as I carry on her legacy and continue her work in transmitting a love of Jewish life.
Treating the Spirit: MSK has a holistic approach where medical treatment includes a focus on the mind and spirit. I provided support to patients and their families mainly through empathic listening and emotional enabling. Listening was the key to helping them acknowledge their feelings. Naming and acknowledging emotions are essential to healing.
Prayer: I prayed with all of my patients from every faith background. My spontaneous prayer with patients would always begin with deep breathing exercises. In Hebrew, the words neshama (soul) and neshema (breath) share a root. I believe that engaging with the breath allows us to reconnect spiritually. I would then use guided imagery, visualizing the breath as a healing stream through the body, exhaling all pain and toxins. I liked to follow this with an extemporaneous personal prayer which reflected the plight as well as the hope of the patient.
Being a Mirror: Chaplains serve as mirrors. Patients share their emotions and chaplains reflect back to them what they expressed. This allows patients to feel that they are heard and understood while helping them process their spiritual distress and grief. My role was to listen, affirm, and validate.
Emily Simkin 20 (Berklee College of Music, B.M. in Vocal Performance) is the student cantor at Congregation B'nal Jeshurun in Short Hills, NJ, and a Tisch-Star Fellow.
Originally published in the Sloan Kettering newsletter.
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