Conference 2023

NIJH Accreditation Conference

November 16, 2023 • 8:00am – 5:30pm
Doubletree by Hilton, Newark International Airport, New Jersey

Providing education, resources, and accreditation for Jewish hospice.

For Doctors, Nurses, Administrators, Chaplains, Social Workers, and ALL Hospice Professionals!

Conference sessions include:

  • Jewish medical ethics
  • End of Life caring and issues from a Jewish perspective
  • Jewish aspects of consolation and bereavement
  • Caring for different groups within Judaism
  • much, much more!

Plus, network with Hospice Professionals for across the United States!

Special $1,000 Discount For Hospices Seeking First Time Accreditation
Only available thru yyoung@nijh.org; expires Sept. 25, 2023

NIJH Accreditation offers:
  • Train your staff to serve Jewish patients in a culturally-sensitive way
  • Create greater Jewish patient and family satisfaction
  • Build your reputation in the Jewish community
  • Grow your business with new clients from the Jewish community
  • Jewish holiday information distributed before every holiday
  • Access to all NIJH materials
  • Media and Marketing kit
  • Listing on the NIJH website
  • Restaurants, Coffee & Tea Bar
  • Luxury Hotel Amenities
  • Heated Pool & Fitness Center
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Minutes from Newark Airport
  • Free 24 Hour Shuttle from Airport (every 1/2 hr)
  • 30 minute Train Ride to NYC

Special Conference Hotel Rates

$139+ tax, per night
  • good thru 10/16/2022

Book using the link above, you can call the hotel at 973-690-5500. Mention the conference for the special rate.

Speakers at NIJH Accreditation 2022

Shirley Lamm
President, NIJH

Shirley Lamm, together with her husband Rabbi Dr. Maurice Lamm, founded the National Institute for Jewish Hospice in 1985. Since her husband Rabbi Maurice Lamm died, she has taken the title of President. and oversees all of its activities, fund raising and the NIJH emergency hotline. She oversees three offices (California, Florida & New York) on a daily basis.

She has counseled over 1,100 families in crisis through the NIJH hotline, offering guidance to terminal patients. Her administrative capacity has assured National Institute for Jewish Hospice’s survival and excellent service.

Shirley Lamm was the leader of many prominent synagogues together with her husband, most notably Beth Jacob in Beverly Hills, California. She was an officer and board member of many Jewish organizations. She has written many articles on timely Jewish topics, and created many programs to benefit the Jewish community.

Rabbi Young, Director of Education, NIJH

“Act V: Dying – The Creative & Dramatic Last Act”
and
“Hospice in a Jewish Home; Kosher, Holidays & The Final Journey”

Rabbi Young is an educator and lecturer with over 30 years of experience. He has been with NIJH since 2009. He is the Education Director at NIJH, and oversees the NIJH Conference and publications.

Yael Davidowitz

“Dignity for the Body, Peace for the Soul”

Yael Davidowitz is the Director of Project Last Kindness for the National Association of Chevra Kadisha. Last Kindness is a national outreach effort to educate the broad Jewish community on the beauty, significance and value of traditional afterlife care and provide practical assistance as needed.

Yael is a Columbia University trained nurse and seasoned fitness professional but her greatest passion lies in caring for the Jewish people. Involved as a volunteer for over 15 years in Jewish afterlife care, Yael has been involved in the work of Chevra Kadisha – the sacred Jewish burial society – and lectures extensively on the topic. In the Fall of 2020, Yael transitioned out of her role as an adult-geriatric nurse practitioner to devote herself full time to carrying out the mission of Last Kindness – helping every Jew choose and receive a dignified burial.

Rabbi Melanie Levov

“Applied Jewish Wisdom at Bedside”

Rabbi Melanie Levav is the founding Executive Director of the Shomer Collective. It seeks to improve end-of-life experiences — inspired by Jewish wisdom, values, and practices—by curating content and resources. Shomer Collective brings together the existing and emerging initiatives, and it applies Jewish wisdom to the question of how we want to live as we all approach the end of life.

She was the Director of PJ Library, a Director of Pastoral Care at the E & C Marks JCC. She has held positions in Jewish education, volunteer management, and fundraising for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and UJA-Federation of New York. Melanie was ordained as a rabbi by the Jewish Theological Seminary as a Wexner Graduate Fellow, is board certified as a chaplain through Neshama: The National Association of Jewish Chaplains, and is a licensed social worker.

Dr. Barry Kinzbrunner

“From Hospice Professional to Primary Care Giver – From the Outside Looking In”

Dr. Barry Kinzbrunner was the Executive Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Vitas Innovative Hospice Care. He is also a Consultant in JDC- Eshel Palliative and Spiritual Care, Jerusalem, Israel, and an Assistant Professor at the Miller School of Medicine of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.

A national leader in defining the role of the hospice medical director, he has extensive experience developing professional performance standards, pain and symptom management guidelines, quality assurance, and hospice and palliative care education.

He was the lead author of 20 Common Problems in End-of-Life Care, and has published over 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals.

“As a Christian working in a Jewish hospice, I was not away of many customs. It was imperative of me to learn and understand the customs to be able to provide holistic care. Thank you!”

“In the past 36 years, NIJH has accredited hundreds of hospices and trained thousands of hospice professionals. We have made a significant difference in teh care of the Jewish terminally ill.”
– Shirley Lamm, President NIJH

“This conference opened my eyes and my mind to the significance of what we do for those Jewish patients who are coming to the end of their life. It is so fulfilling!”