Rowaida Farraj, PharmD, left, and Rabbi Jo Hirschmann, BCC, FACHE
The Mount Sinai Interfaith and the Islamic Community at Mount Sinai employee resource groups gathered to hold space for collective grief and to express their shared humanity, love, respect, and understanding on Wednesday, January 10.
About 90 Mount Sinai employees, students, and trainees joined the virtual vigil held via a Zoom call.
The event, titled “Our Shared Humanity: A Silent Vigil for Mourning,” was led by Rabbi Jo Hirschmann, BCC, FACHE, Senior Director of Education, Center for Spirituality and Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Rowaida Farraj, PharmD, Executive Director of Pharmacy, Mount Sinai Downtown.
“We spend so much of our lives talking. We wanted to create a quiet space where we could connect with ourselves and each other,” said Rabbi Hirschmann. “Together, we made space for our grief and for the hope and comfort that can come from simply being together. It was very meaningful to do this as Mount Sinai colleagues.”
Dr. Rowaida shared similar sentiments.
“It is clear many people are hurting during this difficult time,” she said. “We all needed a safe space to be together to feel that pain but also feel the presence of our community at Mount Sinai Health System which acknowledges that pain, respects all people, and hopes for a better future. We are so grateful we were able to create this space for everyone.”