JCFS Chicago’s chaplaincy services provide a compassionate, caring, and connecting presence to help people find the courage and support to face life’s challenges, such as illness, addiction and loss. Our chaplains, which represent Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Judaism, also provide Shabbat and holiday programming, teach Torah study and offer spiritual resources for Jewish residents in assisted living, nursing homes and other group residential facilities.

 A unique offering to JCFS’s chaplaincy program is a Russian Jewish chaplain who serves the Russian faction of the Jewish community and provides something they may not have experienced before: spirituality.

“There is nobody else in the country, or even the world as far as I know, that has a clinically trained Russian-speaking Jewish chaplain,” said Rabbi Joseph Ozarowski, D. Min., BCC, JCFS Rabbinic Counselor and Chaplain.

JCFS expanded its chaplaincy program five years ago with the addition of a Russian-speaking chaplain, and its reach has been growing since Rabbi Pinchas Zusis took on the role nearly a year ago.

“We’re in places we haven’t been in before,” said Rabbi Ozarowski. “We see the need is there and we are filling it.”

Rabbi Zusis is involved with programs for our sister agencies that serve Russian speaking Jews, including the Ezra Multi-Service Center in Uptown and CJE SeniorLife’s Holocaust Community Services, Rabbi Ozarowski said. He also runs Pre-Shabbat and Pre-Holiday programs monthly at Warren Barr Lieberman in Skokie and Forever Young in Wheeling.

“The work he does in general is similar to what the rest of us do, but the context is different,” Rabbi Ozarowski said. “Spirituality in a Russian cultural context has a very different look and feel than it does for those of us who are not Russian speaking. Judaism looks different and spirituality looks different.”

Rabbi Zusis explains it’s because the population he serves has been brought up with a very rich culture that lacks traditional spirituality.

“Cultural elements are very important in what I do,” Rabbi Zusis said. “I try to do chaplaincy not only with my words, but with my songs.”

He also said that chaplaincy was developed for the individualistic culture.

“In Russia it’s about the community,” he said. “They’re not used to special attention.”

But Rabbi Zusis does conduct mini sessions with individuals after his programs, introducing the one-on-one part of chaplaincy to them in an effort to develop new approaches to what he does for the community.

“We are thrilled with his work and are hoping to continue expanding his reach,” Rabbi Ozarowski said.