Founder and Director

Rabbi Dayle A. Friedman has pioneered the development of a Jewish spiritual vision for aging that draws upon Jewish tradition to help individuals and families meet the opportunities and challenges of later life. Hiddur’s mission is a continuation of Friedman’s innovative service as founding director of chaplaincy services at the Philadelphia Geriatric Center.

Friedman has mentored rabbis, chaplains and cantors from all streams of Judaism. Her work was acknowledged by her inclusion in the 2008 Forward 50 and the 2011 Sisterhood 50, The Forward’s list of influential American Jewish leaders and women rabbis. She is the 2011 winner of the American Society on Aging’s Aging, Religion and Spirituality Award.

Friedman received rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where she also earned master’s degrees in Hebrew literature and Jewish communal service. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University. She is certified as a chaplain by the National Association of Jewish Chaplains.

Her publications include Jewish Visions for Aging: A Professional Guide to Fostering Wholeness (Jewish Lights, 2008), a resource that helps rabbis and professionals dynamically engage and serve elders and their families. She also edited Jewish Pastoral Care: A Practical Handbook From Traditional and Contemporary Sources (Jewish Lights, 2001; second edition, 2010), which has become the standard reference in its field in North America and Israel. She offers training, consulting and spiritual guidance to individuals, professionals and communities through Growing Older, her private practice.