Mychal Springer
Rabbi Mychal Springer’s lifelong work to make hospital chaplaincy more inclusive and supportive across denominations culminated in her creation of the Center for Pastoral Education, which offers chaplaincy training for rabbis across the Jewish spectrum as well as clergy of other faiths. Springer graduated from Yale in 1987 with a BA in Judaic studies and was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1992. While she began by serving as a chaplain, she soon realized that she could have more impact by shaping hospital policies and training other chaplains. She became Director of Pastoral Care and Education at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York and earned certification as a supervisor from the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education. In 2002 she began working as associate dean and director of field education for JTS, training rabbinical students in the nuances of pastoral care for hospitals, hospices, and prisons. She also became the founding director of the Center for Pastoral Education at JTS in 2009, and the following year was honored with the Women of Valor Award by Jewish Funds for Justice for her work in reshaping chaplaincy.