Posted by Barbara Sternfield
I was asked to visit Thelma* in one of the nursing homes where I conduct the Jewish Healing Connections monthly Nursing Home/Assisted Living Shabbat and Holiday Program. The request originated with Thelma’s daughter who lives out of state. When I spoke with her before visiting her mother, she told me that her mother had experienced a stroke and was unable to speak but she still had some ability to comprehend. She also shared with me that religious ritual was not particularly meaningful to her mother.
I had intended to visit Thelma in her room but when I arrived the staff had already brought her to the Shabbat program. As the program progressed, I noticed that she was weeping.
*Name changed to protect privacy.
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