About This Course
To develop and deepen the understanding, comfort, experience, and skill level of rabbinical students in offering pastoral care and counseling in various settings and contexts. During the semester, we will apply both theoretical and practical approaches to the discipline of pastoral care.
The course will consist of 9 online classes (participation is crucial), assigned readings to be read prior to class (including prior to the first class), weekly reflections integrating that week’s class reading materials with one’s own personal experiences (and, at your option, you may submit an addendum anytime during the following week reflecting your reactions to the class discussion), and pastoral care encounters of various sorts that you will draw upon to develop your skills.
Class is Tuesday evenings at 8 PM Eastern in the Zoom classroom available at this link. Please have a close look at the date of each class.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students should
(i) have deepened their listening and reflections skills
(ii) be familiar with various models to develop one’s own spiritual assessment competence
(iii) have cultivated a toolbox of interventions to allow for effective pastoral caregiving
(iv) understand various concepts necessary for sustained pastoral caregiving, including: transference, self-care, theological reflection, ethical decision-making
(v) be able to discern when additional referrals are indicated.
Course Requirements
- Weekly reflections (500-700 words, double spaced) integrating one’s own personal experiences with the reading materials (and optionally adding an addendum based on the classroom discussion), other than on weeks when another written assignment is due
- Spiritual Assessment
- Verbatim
- Theological Reflection
Required Reading
Please purchase before the start of the course
Rabbi Dayle A. Freedman, Ed., Jewish Pastoral Care: A Practical Handbook from Traditional and Contemporary Sources, 2nd Edition (Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing 2005) [Jewish Pastoral Care]
Carrie Doehring, The Practice of Pastoral Care: A Postmodern Approach, Revised and Expanded Edition (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press 2015) [The Practice of Pastoral Care]
Stephen B. Roberts, Ed., Professional Spiritual & Pastoral Care: A Practical Clergy and Chaplain’s Handbook (Woodstock, VT: SkyLight Paths Publishing 2012) [Professional Spiritual & Pastoral Care]
Download the PDF for all the information above as well as information from the introduction and all units in the course.
Meet Your Instructor
Rabbi Fredda Cohen, MA, JD, BCC, is the Director of Pastoral Care and Education at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York. She has lectured extensively in the fields of pastoral education, bikur cholim, palliative care and spirituality. Rabbi Cohen was ordained as a rabbi by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2010, where she also earned an MA in Judaic Studies. She is a board certified chaplain under the auspices of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), and currently serves on its board. Rabbi Cohen received the prestigious Chaplain of the Year Award conferred by the New York Board of Rabbi in 2015. Prior to her career as a chaplain/rabbi, she worked as a trusts and estate attorney.
Smicha, Jewish Theological Seminary
MA, Jewish Theological Seminary
JD, Fordham University School of Law
Contact information: (914-391-1655); fredda.cohen@gmail.com
Ratings and Reviews
Laila TakolanderRabbi Fredda is awesome in her lenient and kind way of guiding pupils through heavy topics and unexpected circumstances.
One person found this helpful. 
Adam StotlandThis course was simply amazing. Rav Fredda is an incredible teacher and guides you along a path of self discovery. Pastoral care is vital for all rabbis and Rav Fredda helps you discover your own theology to maximize the care you give to others. Rav Fredda takes care to provide thoughtful feedback and is very accessible. Be prepared to work and put in the time but the reward is priceless.
One person found this helpful.
Rabbi Fredda has created, & superbly delivers, an introductory unit to Pastoral Care that is both intensive and sacred, fosters a safe & respectful environment, & supports vulnerability in which to share and grow, provides excellent material from Jewish and clinical sources, and maintains accountability to develop and empower throughout. I cannot recommend this class or this teacher more highly.