For this discussion, I decided to choose the Jewish culture.

The Jewish religion is binned

into three primary styles of followership; Orthodox the most religious, Conservative are religious
at a lesser degree, and Reform the most secular of these three primary branches. Regardless of
the style of Judaism a given follower practices, all Jews are bound by traditions, daily practices,
observances. There are slight variances of specific interpretation of Jewish Law which
demonstrate in different styles of practice (Prosser, Korman, Feinstein, 2012). As defined by
Matzo and Sherman (2015), culture is a way of life, which determines how a person adds
meaning to their life and provides guidelines on how to live in a moral and ethical fashion in
accordance with Talmudic teachings. Not only does culture define how we live, it outlines how
we die.

Jewish tradition involves acts that help to heal body and soul of the ill, which is in
accordance with the tradition of involving ones’ family and community. Bikkur Holim is a
Hebrew phrase which translates to, “visiting the sick” (Popovsky, 2007, p. 11). This tradition is
generally embraced by family members, close friends, or members of the Jewish community.
Bikkur Holim involves assisting the patient in daily tasks, ensuring the patient’s dignity is
maintained, and guaranteeing a dying patient is not left alone. Accomplishing this tradition can
be as simple as offering to babysit or cook meals or relieving a family member to allow him or
her to go home for a few hours and return (Popovsky, 2007, p. 12). Observing dietary laws and
the Sabbath is important for those who are observant or keep with these traditions. Culturally,
the Rabbi is epicenter of a given Jewish community. The Rabbi is considered a teacher,
arbitrator, counselor, and philosopher. It is with these traditions people of the Jewish faith
maintain the focus of valuing life, family, and community. Therefore, it is imperative to work
with the families Rabbi to ensure the patients religious values are adhered to.

For the Jewish religion, death is a natural and inevitable occurrence which should not be
feared for it comes from God (Matzo and Sherman, 2015, p. 116). It is believed that the soul of
the deceased lives on after death. Although each area of the Jewish religion may practice and
observe differently, when death occurs, most follow the traditions that have been set forth by the
Jewish Law. When death is imminent, it is important to contact the patient’s Rabbi or Jewish
Chaplain if one is available within the hospital. When a Jewish person dies, the body is watched
by a family member or member of the community until the person is set in a final resting place.
Until the deceased is buried, the person assigned to observe the deceased recites psalms.
Autopsies are generally not conducted in accordance with Jewish Law.

Living in the United States, we are fortunate enough to experience a significant diversity
of cultural groups. With that comes the necessity to be culturally sensitive as we provide care for
our patients. It is important to understand that when a patient identifies themselves as Jewish, it
does not mean this individual follows all traditions. It is important to discuss a patient wishes in
context with their cultural preferences.

References

Matzo, M., and Sherman, D.W. (2015). Palliative care nursing: quality care to the end of life (4th
ed.). New York: Springer Publishing Company
Popovsky, M. A., Rabbi. (2007). Jewish Ritual, Reality and Response at the End of Life A Guide
to Caring for Jewish Patients and Their Families. A Guide to Caring for Jewish Patients
and Their Families,1-48. Retrieved July 10, 2017, from
https://divinity.duke.edu/sites/divinity.duke.edu/files/documents/tmc/Jewish-Ritual.pdf

Prosser, R., Korman, D., & Feinstein, R. A. (2012). An orthodox perspective of the Jewish end-
of-life experience. Home Healthcare Nurse, 30(10), 579-585.
doi:10.1097/NHH.0b013e3182705c60