The first Jewish hospice in Europe is planned for the autumn of 2006. It hopes to attract elderly from abroad as well as in the Netherlands.

Plans have been revealed for Europe’s first Jewish hospice, expected to open in Autumn next year in Amsterdam.

Hospice Immanuel, which will be based at the city’s Amstelveense weg, will aim to provide the same skillful pain management and support that all terminally ill hospice clients receive, but within the context of Jewish values, customs and traditions.

It will include 2 kosher kitchens, Shabbat and religious holiday programmes and even a glazed verandah which can be converted into a booth for the festival of Sukkot.

The originater of the plan was Sasja Martel, who has published and lectured extensively about the Jewish way of dealing with death and mourning.

All Jews Welcome

Bram Haas, a member of the building Committee, told EJP: "The hospice should be acceptable for everybody with a Jewish identity and affinity, from very liberal to strictly orthodox. We are proud to have the rabbis of both the orthodox and the liberal community in our Board of Recommendation. A unique phenomenon since the two denominations rarely work together within one framework."

Among others in the Board of Recommendation are the directors of JMW (Jewish Social Work), Beth Shalom Amsterdam (home for Jewish elderly), the Sinai Centre Amersfoort (the only Jewish psychiatric hospital in Europe) and many experts like professor Zuurmond, a professor in anaesthesiology of the Vrije Universiteit, and medical director of Hospice Kuria, both located in Amsterdam.

"We are doing everything we can to ensure that the hospice is kosher," Haas said.

"An expert of the Institute of Science and Halacha in Jerusalem is coming over to advise us so that the construction is permissible according to Jewish law. For instance, for Shabbat there should be enough warm water to wash people without cooking it, and there will be an elevator which can also be used on shabbat and the festivals."

Questions of Demand

When it opens Hospice Immanuel will be able to host six guests. Haas said he believes there is likely to be a demand for such a hospice in the relatively small Dutch Jewish community which numbers around 44,000.

He said: "If six possible guests will be enough within the expected demand, or too much, is very hard to say. Recent demographic research indicates that there are a lot of Jewish elderly living on their own in the Netherlands. Professionals say these elderly prefer to pass away peacefully at home but they often lack enough family and friends to take care of them.”

"The hospice can also be used by non-Jewish people who respect the Jewish atmosphere and rules. Foreigners are expected to come too. Many Dutch Jews, who live in America or Israel for instance, have family in the Netherlands and people often prefer to spend their last days, weeks or months, with their closest family. If the Sinai Centre can attract people from Belgium and France why shouldn’t we?"