Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

The Jewish Pavilion has been offering Grief Support through a Jewish Lens for close to 10 years. The program is offered twice a year - Fall and Spring. The program is five-six weeks and takes place on Mondays at 10:30 a.m. beginning Oct. 24th at Village on the Green, 500 Village Place in Longwood.

A grief support group offers a different quality of support and connection that comes from being with people who have also recently experienced a loss. Grief support groups provide emotional support, validation, and education about grief.

The treatment goal for grief is to help individuals normalize and embrace their emotions during the grief process. Professional strategies are suggested and practiced to help the bereaved have the tools and support they need to cope with their loss without feeling alone or emotionally distraught. Techniques used in grief counseling can include: Guiding an individual to talk about the loss and the circumstances surrounding the death and asking a participant to describe his or her emotions and feelings. The facilitator helps group members build coping strategies to deal with tough days like holidays, anniversaries, or birthdays. Members of a grief support group may discuss the most difficult life challenges including coping with the loss of a child, spouse, parent or sibling.

This free grief support group, offered by the Jewish Pavilion, is being run by Judy Kahan who is a social worker. The program helps participants deal with their grief through a Jewish Lens. Members must commit to attend all the sessions. Special thanks to the Glassman- Guzman Family Foundation for their support of the program.

Judaism provides a beautiful, structured approach to mourning that involves three stages. When followed carefully, these stages guide mourners through the tragic loss and pain and gradually ease them back into the world. The loss is forever, but the psychological, emotional, and spiritual healing that takes place at every stage is necessary and healthy.

The process of mourning is not easy, and the class provides a structure to let mourners feel their aloneness, separating them from the outside world and then gradually reinstating them back into society.

Time does heal. But not because we are busy and the memories fade. With time comes the realization that the person we are today reflects the loved one we lost. The elements of our character, actions and values may result from this special soul lost.

Judy Kahan is a native Central Floridian whose Jewish communal career included work at the JCC, Jewish Federation and Kinneret Apartments. During her tenure as executive director of Kinneret Apartments, Judy created the organization known today as the Jewish Pavilion. She received her master's degree in Social Work from Yeshiva University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida. Currently Judy serves on the board of Share the Care, a non-profit organization that provides day care service centers for the elderly and supportive services for caregivers. After 25 years of marriage, Judy became a widow at the age of 52. In 2015 Judy married Elliott Davis, who now serves as chairman of the board of the Jewish Pavilion. Davis is participating in the grief support group and share his experiences from the loss of his wife in 2010.

For more information or to sign up call the Jewish Pavilion office at 407-678-9363 or email NancyLudin@JewishPavilion.org. Generally, it is recommended to wait six months after a loss to sign up for a grief support group, because the grief is so raw at the beginning.