When Rabbi Sara Abrams was working at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center as a chaplain, a patient asked her to sing a song.
“I sang ‘Hava Nagila’ and did a dance in the patient’s room,” said Abrams. “Another patient then said, ‘I heard the chaplain singing. Can she sing that in my room?’”
For Abrams, being a chaplain is all about bringing light into people’s day, whether that means counseling them, praying with them or doing a song and dance routine.
“You try to meet someone where they are and help create an opening if it’s something that they want for reflection and their own presence,” she said. “I’ve had so many wonderful moments of learning and guiding people in a time where sometimes they will heal, and sometimes they will let go of life. I’m a cheerleader and a supporter and companion for whatever course their life will take at that time.”
After working as a hospital chaplain at UCLA and Providence Saint John’s Health Center, Abrams was hired as the associate spiritual leader and chaplain at Valley Outreach Synagogue & Center for Jewish Life in Calabasas.
“Valley Outreach Synagogue (VOS) values [chaplaincy] enough to make it the title of a job,” she said about her position, which she’s held since spring of 2021. “You’re doing all the teaching, preaching and administrative work, and being present for life cycle events.”
A large part of Abrams’ work includes running groups and counseling members from the over 400 families that are part of the synagogue. Most of the people in the groups are over 60 years old, and topics that come up are loss and how to cope with isolation during this time.
“It’s nice for them to know that somebody is saying, ‘Let me hold your hand for a few minutes, and let’s make meaning from it.’ In a world that’s increasingly disconnected, there is a great desire in human beings to really feel seen for who they are.”
“I make a lot of phone calls to people and check in regularly,” she said. “Sometimes, people don’t want the rabbi calling them because they are private, and I respect that. But this congregation really welcomes that kind of checking in. It’s nice for them to know that somebody is saying, ‘Let me hold your hand for a few minutes, and let’s make meaning from it.’ In a world that’s increasingly disconnected, there is a great desire in human beings to really feel seen for who they are.”
Abrams, who served as a congregational rabbi in Chico, California and Westchester, New York, was ordained in her early 30s at Hebrew Union College (HUC) – Institute of Jewish Religion in Los Angeles.
“Becoming a rabbi was something I thought about doing on and off for a while, and I made the decision to do it after I had gotten my masters in religious studies,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to help people grow spiritually. I wanted to help myself, of course, because I was always a spiritual seeker.”
When she looked at what being a rabbi was like, it intrigued her. “I loved the wonderful variety that rabbinical life offered,” she said. “I could be that therapeutic presence as a rabbi. I could satisfy that need to spiritually support people one on one in the ups and downs in life.”
While at HUC, Abrams discovered her affinity for chaplaincy through her internship at St. John’s. Today – and in the future – she wants to take what she’s learned working with patients and with the VOS congregation to help people find meaning in the difficult moments, as well as thrive in their spiritual life.
“I really love being people’s spiritual support,” she said. “I’m willing to step into their world a little bit, all the while holding a certain kind of pastoral presence. Chaplaincy really emphasizes having a sense of one’s self, all the while holding presence and openness for another.”
Fast Takes With Sara Abrams
Jewish Journal: What is your favorite Jewish food?
Sara Abrams: Brisket. You fry the onions, you sear the brisket, you add a little bit of broth and mushrooms and cook it for four or five hours on the stove.
JJ: What’s your favorite place to travel to?
SA: The desert. I like Desert Hot Springs.
JJ: What do you do on your day off?
SA: I read or go for a hike.
JJ: What’s your perfect Shabbat look like?
SA: A beautiful table with abundant food, lots of light and people singing and talking Torah and about God. A table where God is at the center.
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