Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network

08/31/2026

During our pre-Rosh Hashanah staff meeting, we learned the reason we leave stones at a gravesite. The life of a loved one (of blessed memory) is defined in one way by the words on their monument. But the stones left by visitors symbolize that their legacy lives on through those honoring their memory. The photo here depicts a craft project some of our staff made to demonstrate their creativity.

08/28/2026

As the sun sets on another week, we wish you a Shabbat Shalom, JHCN Friends and Family!

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08/27/2026

A new review of "The Best Day" ran this week in San Diego Jewish World, and it's a thoughtful one.

Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel, spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom, writes that Rabbi Joseph Krakoff's memoir is "honest about pain, stubborn about hope." He notes that the book refuses both despair and easy uplift, and that its eighteen self-contained stories can be read in any order, making it something to keep on a nightstand and open when it's needed.

Krakoff has spent more than two decades at bedsides, first as a congregational rabbi in Metro Detroit and since as President and CEO of the Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network. The stories in this book come from that work. and Joseph Krakoff's own life.

Read the full review: (link in comments)

08/24/2026

"Drawing on his personal life and his heartfelt experiences with patients of the Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network, The Best Day explains how even mistakes and sad events can become opportunities for learning, self-improvement and gratitude."

The 2026 Detroit Jewish Book Fair runs Oct. 25-Nov. 16, with a special Aug. 27 kickoff featuring Rabbi Joseph Krakoff discussing The Best Day.

08/17/2026

A worst day can become a dungeon or a diving board.

In a new piece for Read the Spirit, Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff answers the question readers keep asking him: what exactly is a "best day"? His answer is an acronym, and it is worth keeping somewhere you will see it.

Believe. Embrace. Show gratitude. Take one meaningful step forward.

The Best Day: A Memoir of Finding Joy, Inspiration, Resilience, and Hope publishes September 8 and is available for pre-order now.