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November 22, 2002/Kislev 17 5763, Vol. 55, No. 13
Messianic rabbi serves Trinity Hospice
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
Trinity Hospice in Phoenix employs a Messianic rabbi as a member of its six-person chaplain staff.
Messianic Rabbi Jack Zimmerman, a Valley resident for five years, is a part-time employee of Trinity. Additionally, he is the spiritual leader of congregation Beth Simcha HaMashiach located at Faith Christian Community Church of the Nazarene in Scottsdale, an organization that lists Zimmerman as a pastor/rabbi of Messianic ministries on its Web site.
According to Zimmerman, he received his credentials through the International Association of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues and the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America.
On its Web site, the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America, the self-proclaimed largest Messianic Jewish association in the world, describes Messianic Jews as "Jews who have accepted Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth as the promised Messiah of Israel and Saviour of the world, and maintain Jewish identity and worship style."
Zimmerman provides chaplain care to both Jewish and non-Jewish patients of Trinity Hospice, he said.
"Like all chaplains, this chaplain honors the spiritual wishes of every family, whatever faith they may practice," he said via e-mail earlier this week.
Chaplain Phillip Goldbleck of Trinity Hospice said patients of the hospice are offered a full range of spiritual care.
"We try to ascertain if there is a faith tradition and secondly, if there's particular congregation, church or spiritual group that they affiliate with and then ... offer our spiritual care to augment that," he explained.
Asked if he informs hospice patients that he is a Messianic rabbi and what that means, Zimmerman said, "Families are informed of my Judaism and welcome me, knowing my desire to meet their spiritual needs."
Rabbi B. Charles Herring of Temple Kol Ami in Scottsdale expressed concerns about Zimmerman representing himself as a Jewish rabbi.
"In order to be part of this (Messianic) movement, you have to accept Jesus as your messiah and in so doing, you become a Christian. That's what Christians are," he said.
Herring said the problem lies with the fact that "in the last few weeks he has emerged twice as a rabbi," referring to two Jewish funerals over which Zimmerman recently officiated.
Goldbleck said that he is not aware of any complaints to Trinity Hospice about Zimmerman.
Contact the writer at beth_olson@jewishaz.com.
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