Six Students Graduate from Hebrew SeniorLife’s Clinical Pastoral Education Program

Six chaplain students from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Spain have graduated from Hebrew SeniorLife’s Clinical Pastoral Education Program, which provides geriatric-focused spiritual care training for seminary students of many faiths.

The Hebrew SeniorLife CPE Program is unique in its focus on spiritual care for seniors and their families related to aging, age-related illnesses, and end-of-life care. With special attention to cultural and demographic diversity, students in the program earn credits that enable them to become board-certified chaplains. Their education prepares them to serve as chaplains in interfaith settings, as effective community clergy, and in other adjacent fields. 

The CPE program is run by Rabbi Beth Naditch, an ACPE-certified educator, board-certified chaplain, and director of Clinical Pastoral Education at Hebrew SeniorLife. The current graduates represent different religious traditions and cultures, including Jewish, Buddhist, Protestant, and agnostic from no formal religious background.  

Two graduates have already been accepted into competitive CPE residency programs to complete their training, while other graduates have accepted positions as professional chaplains at Boston Children's Hospital and at a continuum-of-care community north of Boston.

According to Emma Markham, who was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, and lives in Somerville, “In the beginning, the six of us arrived at Hebrew SeniorLife, each bringing with us our own stories and experiences, including former teachers; a rabbi, scholar and practitioner of international law; a former scientist with a passion for interfaith care; a spiritual director; a mom to three and chaplain intern; and a Buddhist and interfaith hospice chaplain. All of us came together in a supportive learning community where we grew as spiritual caregivers who can meaningfully contribute to the emotional and spiritual lives of patients, families, and staff.”  

Markham added, “We learned how to show up with authenticity in our leadership, that storytelling is spiritual care, how to step out of our comfort zones, how to see people for who they are in the moment.”

Maddy Fish, who was born in the Florida panhandle and is now a Somerville resident, said, “Through the program, we learned about the many ways chaplains can uplift the dignity of patients, no matter how old they may be, how to advocate for dignified care across disciplines, and about the importance of being in a robust, supportive team.”

According to Rabbi Naditch, “From its start, seventeen years ago, our CPE program offered a different model. In contrast to programs in acute settings, where chaplain interns may meet patients only briefly, our program, based in senior health care and living communities, gives students an opportunity to develop long-term relationships with the people they serve. They engage with people’s day-to-day lives, their joys and sorrows. Sometimes it’s very intense, including when they support people with dementia and other cognitive issues, as well as those facing end-of-life issues. Our program, which is offered through the lens of Jewish content and process, welcomes intentional interfaith dialogue and learning. Our cohorts serve as a model for interreligious understanding and learning, which is increasingly rare in our world.”

After two units of clinical pastoral education together, this group of six became a beloved community of professional chaplains who were changed and made stronger and more skillful caregivers by this program, by one another, and by their patients.

Hebrew SeniorLife’s Clinical Pastoral Education programs in Roslindale and Dedham provide geriatric-focused spiritual care education. It is the country’s only Jewish geriatric program accredited by ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care & Education. The program offers levels IA, IB, IIA, and IIB CPE in each unit and is accredited to offer supervisory CPE. 

About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife is a national leader working to create a world where aging is defined by possibility, not limitation. We care for more than 4,500 older adults each day across seven campuses throughout Greater Boston, and offer support for families in the aging journey. Our services include in-home care, outpatient therapies, an outpatient memory clinic, short- and long-term inpatient care, hospice, independent and assisted living, and affordable housing with services. We conduct influential research on aging at our Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a grant portfolio of $87 million, and train future health care workers at the Lunder CareForce Institute. Hebrew SeniorLife is a Harvard Medical School affiliate. Follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.