Council of Religious AIDS Networks

Click on links below:

CHAI CHAI

The fundamental goal of the Chicago HIV/AIDS Initiative is to assure that the Chicago area Jewish community has access to a full range of HIV/AIDS education programs as well as support services for those infected or affected by the virus.

As the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues toward the end of its second decade in the USA, it is clear that if we are to get control of this epidemic, we must educate all members of our society about how HIV is transmitted and how they can avoid infection. So far, the Jewish community has not been particularly pro-active in this area. Although several national Jewish groups have put out position papers on HIV/AIDS and many Jewish individuals have been involved in HIV/AIDS education and services, the topic is still absent from the curricula of most Jewish day schools and after school programs, and is not a frequent topic of discussions from the pulpit or at meetings of Jewish social, political and social action groups.

One of the reasons or this seems to be the belief, widespread in the Jewish community, that HIV/AIDS is not our problem. Perhaps because the disease has not reached epidemic proportions in the Jewish community, Jews are still able to ignore the few cases that come close to them, or label them as unique. Another reason many in the community have avoided dealing more directly with

The second area of our activities is support services for people affected by HIV/AIDS. There are no good statistics on the number of individuals and families in the Jewish community who are affected by the virus, but even if the number is relatively small, these people deserve to receive appropriate, quality services. Although most Jewish individuals who are affected by HIV/AIDS can receive adequate medical care from existing agencies, many can benefit from culturally appropriate sources of spiritual and emotional support in order to integrate HIV/AIDS into their lives. This is the focus of our direct service programs. Our goal is to make sure that Jews affected by HIV/AIDS have access to rabbis or other trained members of the community for one-on-one spiritual support, as well as to therapists who are knowledgeable and sensitive to both Jewish culture and the issues of HIV/AIDS. We also plan programs designed to bring Jews affected by HIV/AIDS together to share their experiences and support one another in their efforts to explore the emotional and spiritual issues raised by the presence of the virus in their lives and live their lives well.

CHAI, is a program of the AIDS Pastoral Care Network (APCN). APCN was founded in 1985 has as it's mission to support the spiritual health and growth of individuals and communities affected by HIV/AIDS through pastoral care; outreach, education and training; and the promotion of social justice. At lunch yesterday I was tempted to remain seated. it seems that those are Catholic lesbian feminist theologians are unaccustomed to thinking in such terms! I prefer to think of theologians as useful or useless. It is an honor to be in the company of such committed people. I want to thank Kenneth South and the rest of the committee for inviting me to be apart of this stimulating meeting. I believe that we are engaged in the very best religious, ecumenical work, driven not by ideology-we are all religious to get along-but by necessity-people are sick and dying and we more, I think it is time, especially for those of us who come from, the dominant, unto hegemonic tradition in this culture and indeed colonializing in many parts of the world, I think it is time for those of us from some traditions to state clearly and simply that some beliefs, attitudes, teachings from our tradition have contributed to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is not for me to say where traditions other than my own are at fault, ecological shoe fits, wear it. What we are doing here then is not, finally, heroic, but the ordinary work of ous, of being linked with one another and with those who have come and those who will follow us. To be religious means in part to correct s of our ancestors in our faith traditions as we try to live in our time.

Return to Index of Convocation Papers.

C.R.A.N. Website includes comprehensive and reliable information on HIV/AIDS and faith-based services, faith-based organizations, and communities of faith.

Need more information? Click to use our Online Request Information form.