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Who Is Wise? The One Who Learns from All: The Nexus Between Mental Health and Jewish Spiritual Care
Description
This episode is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Chaplain Ilisia Kissner, BCC (1953- 2026)
Chaplain Ilisia Kissner, of blessed memory, served the Jewish community as an educator for over 25 years, both as a teacher and principal in synagogue schools. Her B.A. is from Queens College in New York, M.A. from New York University and Principal’s Certification from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
After completing four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Overlook Hospital in 2011, Chaplain Kissner worked as a hospice chaplain and as a group home chaplain for Jewish Services for the Developmentally Disabled. In 2013 she became the Jewish Chaplain at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, New Jersey, where she served until her death on February 6, 2026. She became a Board Certified Chaplain with NAJC in 2016. Chaplain Kissner also provided religious services and pastoral care at Village Apartments in South Orange, one of the facilities of the Jewish Community Housing Corporation of the Federation of Greater Metrowest New Jersey.
Chaplain Kissner, z"l, approached Rabbi Ed Bernstein, NeshamaCast producer and host, in May 2025, and proposed an episode on mental health. She then became an active member of the NAJC Social Media Committee and was intimately involved in the planning of this episode. This episode was in the final stages of production at the time of Chaplain Kissner's death on February 6, 2026. May the memory of Chaplain Ilisia Kissner be for a blessing.
Cantor Rabbi Rob Jury, PhD, BCC, CRADC, LCPC, NCC, is the Founder and Clinical Director of the Tikvah Center for Jewish Recovery & Healing, a state licensed and JCAHO accredited, Jewish addiction treatment program in Northbrook, Illinois. His Rabbinic ordination is from the Hebrew Seminary for the Deaf in Skokie, IL. Rob is also the senior rabbi at Congregation Anshe Tikvah. Rob serves on the faculty of The Family Institute of Northwestern University where he is the course lead for Research Methods in Counseling, in addition to teaching Assessment in Counseling, and Addiction Counseling. His article on Jewish metaphors in narrative practice with peopl