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Culturally Competent Care

This resource is meant to be used as a guide. Every religion and culture has differing practices, beliefs, ceremonies, and languages dependent on origin location, community, family, and the individual. If you are unsure about how to best provide support,

Brief Overview

  • Commandments, duties, and obligations have priority over individual rights and pleasures¹
  • Sanctity of life overrides religious obligations¹
  • Orthodox Jews follow a more strict interpretation of the Torah¹
  • Conservatives Jews have a more modern but traditional view of religious observances¹
  • Reform Jews choose their religious observances and individually interpret the Torah¹
  • A focus on action over beliefs, which are outlined in the Commandments (Mitzvoth)²

Common Rituals

  • Orthodox Jews pray 3x a day typically in community¹
  • Conservative Jews have daily prayers¹
  • Reform Jews are open to prayers at the bedside and participating in multi-faith practices¹
  • Lighting of candles during holidays¹ 
  • Attend synagogue for prayer¹
  • Sabbath lasts from sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday and those who practice will not work, travel, use electricity, bathe, or handle money with special prayers on Friday²
  • Special holidays have different rituals²

Common Health Beliefs

Clinical Considerations

  • Provide opportunities for individual to meet with Jewish clergy or volunteers for spiritual care, counselling, etc.²
  • For those who practice Sabbath, avoid discharge during Sabbath or other Holy days when they cannot drive a car²
    • Otherwise allow them to wait until nightfall or make other arrangements
  • Exemptions to Sabbath allowed to save a life²
  • Inform patients when medications or medical products are made with non-kosher derivatives (i.e. pork) and discuss alternatives
  • People who are sick may refrain from fasting²

Diet

  • May request kosher-certified pork (food free of pork derivatives)¹
  • Fasting during some holidays¹

Dress

Pregnancy

  • Abortion accepted to save the mother¹
  • May not allow birth control¹
  • Male babies circumcised at day 8 after birth, unless a medical condition causes a delay²
  • Circumcision may be performed by a Rabbi²
  • Female babies may get a naming ceremony in the Synagogue²
  • Naming may happen later, after leaving the hospital²

End of Life/Death

  • There is a belief in life after death¹
  • Before death, individuals may connect with the community and pray¹
  • Organ donations are accepted and should be discussed with individuals and families¹,²
  • Autopsy may be accepted, but may only be allowed when necessary¹,²
  • Cremation may be discouraged or prohibited and burial should happen as soon as possible (24-48hrs after death)¹,²
    • Amputated limbs should be buried with the individual
  • The family may request to stay with the body until it is taken to the funeral home¹,²
  • Mi Cheberach is a common prayer for the sick¹

References

  1. Swihart, D. L., Yarrarapu, S. N. S., & Martin, R. L. (2024). Cultural Religious Competence in Clinical Practice. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493216

  2. Spiritual Care Advisory Committee. (2015). Health Care and Religious Beliefs. Alberta Health Services. https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/programs/ps-1026227-health-care-religious-beliefs.pdf