Autumn Years Fall 2023

People ask “Why am I suffering?” or “Why is there injustice?” or “Am I being punished?” She coaches them to understand that they are not being punished and that “we don’t know why God gives us this. We live a life of uncertainty and do not know the answers.”

or “Am I being punished?” She coaches them to understand that they are not being punished and that “we don’t know why God gives us this. We live a life of uncertainty and do not know the answers. It is OK to not always have a reason for why things happen to us. I believe that humans are incredibly resilient and can find ways to overcome difficulties and the sense of uncertainty. However, often they cannot do it by themselves and have no clue how to access this part in them that will give them permission to be strong. They need a teacher to walk with them. One way I deal with this is

or her own personal story. In many ways, it is about thinking outside of the box.” For example, she

utilizes customized prayers based on what people share with her. “I use the words that they use. People need to know they have been heard,” Rabbi Ziona says. This is personal prayer, different from ones

Rabbi Ziona getting ready for the High Holidays by blowing the Shofar.

being an ‘active listener.’ This means that I allow silence to take a role. I do not have to talk a lot. I just need to let the client talk and share as much as possible.” Her listening skills have often been tested. This also applies to American Red Cross deployments to help

taken from the prayer book. These challenges help her be stronger because she knows that she is making a difference. In helping people cope with difficulties, she has to overcome her own urge to fix things for her clients. For instance, if a house has

values by the way they behave and how they value Judaism for themselves.” Compassion marks her 13 years as a chaplain at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, and her role as a volunteer Spiritual Care supervisor at the American Red Cross. In the hospital, she attends to patients of all faith traditions and provides pastoral care for their families as well. At the American Red Cross, she works in local shelters, where victims of fires and floods stay, and she is also deployed to other states where disasters hit. Her role as a Spiritual Care provider is “to give people hope during devastating circumstances.” It took a lot of training for that. One of the challenges is the fact that each individual processes life differently, and so is the way they deal with trauma. “I must tailor my unique session for each person to fit his

on-site after tornadoes in Kentucky and Mississippi, Hurricane Ian in Florida and virtually support survivors after disasters in Texas and Oregon. A deployment is a minimum of 14 days, and “my work is difficult. In Florida, for example, the staff slept in a tent, which is called the staff shelter, with 100 people and no privacy. But more difficult was processing what I heard and what I witnessed. I heard horror stories and witnessed tragedies. I’d

burned down, she cannot fix that. “But I can walk with them and help them tap into their inner strength,” she says. “I help people cope and inspire them. At times of disaster people are most vulnerable, and they appreciate our discussions of that sort. Humanity shares two universal traits—joy and pain. These emotions are the same in every tradition.” She reflects that people ask “Why am I suffering?” or “Why is there injustice?”

34

AUTUMN YEARS I FALL 2023