An Interview with Rabbi Charles P Rabinowitz

by Gordon Nary

Gordon: What is one of your favorite childhood memories? Tell us something about you family.

Rabbi Charles: My Mom was a teacher, college professor and A Dean of Education. My Dad was a lawyer, professor at Tifereth Yisrael Rabbinical Seminary and NYU Law School, Rabbi and Hospice Chaplain. My older sister is a retired Law librarian. My wife is a retired New Rochelle School District special education teacher. My daughter is a library media specialist at Graham School in Mt. Vernon. My son works at a restaurant.

One of my favorite childhood memories was setting the NY State Schoolboy Record in the 100 yard dash (9.6 seconds) in 1oth grade.

Gordon: Where did you attend college, what degrees did you earn, what was your favorite class, and why was it your favorite?

Rabbi Charles: Kenyon College-graduated in May 1976 with AB in Political Science. I had an unofficial double major in Judaic Studies. My favorite class was Hebrew with Dr. Kullmann. He promised my father that he would work me hard and mark me harder. Until he died, he looked at everything I wrote. He was a wonderful teacher and mentor.

Gordon: When you received you vocation, with whom did you discuss it, and what was their advice?

Rabbi Charles: I was born into a family of 99 generations of rabbis before me. I guess my vocation began at birth. My father taught and guided me.

Gordon: When did you attend Tifereth Yisrael Rabbinical Seminary and what did you find most rewarding about your studies?

Rabbi Charles: My ancestors were among the founders of this Lithuanian Musar yeshiva. My grandfather and his best friend were sent to the United States to open a branch here. I was ordained a Rabbi in 1982 and a Dayan in 1985. I loved the Talmud and Clinical Pastoral Psychology courses. The yeshiva trained us 1/3 in Lithuanian Musar, 1/3 in Clinical Pastoral Psychology, and 1/3 in a copy of the Hebrew Union College curriculum. I do admit that it was challenging the first year to be assigned to the Senior Hors Class in Talmud taught by my father.

Gordon: What were  your duties during your Clinical Pastoral Education internship in Greenwich Hospital?

Rabbi Charles: As I remember I was assigned to a Cardiac unit.

Gordon: Please provide an overview of your Residency in Clinical Pastoral Education Institute of Jewish Pastoral Care at The HealthCare Chaplaincy.

Rabbi Charles: I was assigned to JASA Warbass Cares For Seniors - an apartment complex which was a naturally becoming retirement community. I provided services post 9/11. I learned from Rabbi Mychal Springer.

Gordon: When did you serve as an Instructor at Tifereth Yisrael Rabbinical Seminary and what did you teach?                               

Rabbi Charles: My last two years I taught Introduction to Homiletics, Introduction to Clinical Pastoral Psychology and Introduction to Talmud. My supervisor was my father.

Gordon: What is one of your favorite memories as Rabbi at Community Temple Beth Ohr in Brooklyn, New York?

Rabbi Charles: Every Shabbat before I began my sermon a little girl would run up the aisle shouting, "It's Shabbat", She would come up on the bima. I lifted her up. She would turn to the congregation and say, "Rabbi will preach now. Listen". At then end of my sermon, i lifted her down and she gave me a kiss on my cheek and went back to her pare

Gordon: What was one of your more rewarding experiences as Rabbi at Beth Samuel Jewish Center. Cambridge, PA?

Rabbi Charles: Working on a Marriage support in an interfaith program between Pesach and Shavuot that i helped develop with other ministers. Once a year, we would gather in a local park and do a big Renewing of Vows ceremony for those who went through the training.

Gordon: When were you Senior Instructor at Frostburg State University Hagerstown, MD and what did you teach?

Rabbi Charles: I taught Sociology in the Spring of 1995.

Gordon: Tell us about your time as Jewish Chaplain at South Mountain Restoration Center. Sewickley Valley Hospital.

Rabbi Charles: I was the Jewish Chaplain at South Mountain which was a senior care facility for seniors with developmental or mental health issues. At Sewickley Valley hospital, I was the volunteer Jewish Chaplain because I was the local rabbi. At South Mountain, I did weekly services and visited each Jewish patient.

Gordon: What was one you more memorable experience as Rabbi at Congregation B'nai Abrahamm Hagerstown, MD.?

Rabbi Charles: There were many but I guess chairing the Multicultural Curriculum Review for the local school district, and writing a history of the congregation. We discovered that when the county was formed in 1776, the first official citizen was Levi Cohen (You needed to own 50 acres of land). Thomas Kennedy fought for and got passed the law that allowed Jews to vote in Maryland.

But I’m more proud of the interfaith work that I did in building interfaith relationships, Substance Abuse Prevention, Affordable housing, preventing the Klan from establishing their national headquarters in Hagerstown, becoming the first Rabbi to be President of the local Ministerial Association and the local Council of Churches.

Gordon: What were some of the challenges as Jewish Chaplain Washington County Hospital, Washington County Hospice and   three State of Maryland prisons of Hagerstown, MD and how did you address them?

Rabbi Charles: I served a multistate area for the various forms of chaplaincy, which was a major challenge. I spent one day a week going north to South Mountain and then going south to Martinsburg Va Center. I checked in on patients in nursing homes around the county. I made home visits to seniors around the county. I did a lot of training programs. Some of the challenges were teaching other faith chaplains about Judaism, and they’re not harassing our Jewish patients. Dealing with getting kosher food for Jewish prisoners, dealing with Anti-Semitism in the prisons, and providing holiday services for them. Hospice was home based-there was no in hospital unit. 

Gordon: Please provide an overview of your responsibilities as Jewish Chaplain the Veteran Center at Martinsburg, WV.

Rabbi Charles: I did the Substance Abuse Assessments for all patients. I visited Jewish patients and staff. I did a weekly service. I visited Hospice patients in their homes. I dealt with Antisemitic issues that came up.

Gordon: Please provide an overview of your responsibilities as Assistant Rabbi/Education Director Temple Beth AmBeth Am Williamsville, NY.

Rabbi Charles: I ran the K to 12 education program, updating and creating curriculum,  teacher training, and a member of the community education directors board. As Assistant Rabbi, I did weekly services, attended Board of Rabbis meetings, did some Clinical Pastoral Care issues with rabbis and local clergy.

Gordon: Please provide an overview of your responsibilities as Associate Rabbi Larchmont Temple Larchmont, NY.  

Rabbi Charles: Ran the Education program K to adults, home senior visits, wrote special education Hebrew curriculum, participated in all services, worked specifically with the Seniors, Brotherhood, and Social Action committees.

Gordon: What did you teach as Adjunct Instructor at  Manhattan College Riverdale, NY?

Rabbi Charles: Introduction to Religion

Gordon: When did you serve as Rabbinic Liaison for Westchester County. NY and what were your responsibilities?

Rabbi Charles: I tried to get local rabbis involved in the Child Health Plus Program

Gordon: What course did you teach as Adjunct Associate Professor, Marymount College Tarrytown, NY?

Rabbi Charles: Introduction to Judaism and Jewish History

Gordon: What is one of your favorite memories when you were Staff Chaplain at North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New York?

Rabbi Charles:  Training staff about chaplaincy and Judaism. I loved the variety of units that I served (Birth, Cancer, Psych ICU); developed a “Survival” course with a social worker to bring support to staff in the ICU; wrote holiday services and being part of the Healthcare Chaplaincy network.

Gordon: What were your responsibilities as Jewish Chaplain at Calvary Hospital?

Rabbi Charles: I served all Jewish Patients like my father and grandfather before me (all told my family served 86 years there). I was in charge of Muslim patients' needs as well. I ran a Guided Reading Program for Chaplains with various staff members coming to talk to us. I wrote Jewish holiday services and a weekly Torah Learning Sheet that went to Jewish patients, Jewish staff and some non-Jewish staff as well. I participated in the Visiting Medical Students Program doing the session on Chaplaincy for them. I participated in the Clinical Pastoral Care program as an instructor and mentor.

Gordon: You currently serve as Chaplain at Caring Hospice Services of New York. Brooklyn & Queens NY. What are some of the challenges of Hospice Care and how do you address them?

Rabbi Charles: I am technically on my badge a Rabbi Chaplain but unofficially I serve also as Senior Chaplain as well-having trained and mentor the other two chaplains. Our program is mostly home-based. It's a lot of driving. Most of my patients are not Jewish. Covid was a major challenge. For many months, chaplains and social workers did tele-health. It's not easy providing care over a telephone. Had to work harder to make that sacred connection around a bed. The staff needed more private pastoral support so I did a lot of pastoral counseling of staff (and still do). I have written a prayer poem every morning since January 2020 so the staff has something to focus on as they leave their houses to work with our patients and families. Especially after October 7th, some patients and families are a little wary of a Jewish chaplain. I have more decline of service. Some of the African American patients had experiences with my father (because of his work with Dr King and others) so they expect more from me since I'm in the "family business'. (I started working in hospice shadowing my father at Calvary Hospital from the time I could walk. Between my grandfather, father and I we have been doing hospice work for well over a hundred years. That's a major responsibility.) Hospice work takes more giving of yourself. It can be intense because sometimes families don't want the patients to know that they are on hospice. I'm conscious of bringing myself and stepping into the sacred space around the bedside. I meet and sit with them in their moments. All the patient and families like my singing at the end of every visit. I have done cultural awareness research and training of staff.

In addition to my job, I have done work for NAJC as an Editor of the Jewish Journal of Spiritual Care, mentored and served as chair on certification panels, and served two terms on the Board.

Gordon: Thank you for a great interview.