Hindu Chaplaincy Education Receives Major Boost from MJF
Hindu Chaplaincy Education Receives a Major Boost with the Award of Motwani Jadeja Fellowships to scholars in the HCI-GTU Program
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, November 9, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — The new collaborative pathway to Hindu chaplaincy between Motwani Jadeja Foundation (MJF), Hindu Community Institute (HCI), and Graduate Theological Union (GTU) has global participation and impact.
The Hindu Community Institute (HCI) today announced the award of the first Motwani Jadeja Hindu Chaplaincy Fellowships for study at HCI and the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley, CA. Upon completion of the programs and training, these spiritual caregivers will serve at universities, hospitals, and other interreligious environments, equipped with the rich spiritual care practices of the Hindu tradition.
“We admire the pioneering decision of the Fellows to enter chaplaincy education”
Asha Jadeja, Chair and Founder, Motwani Jadeja Foundation
In making the announcement, Dr. Kailash Joshi, HCI President, said, “We are making this truly historical announcement, thanks to the generous grant from Motwani Jadeja Foundation (MJF) and the cooperation between HCI and GTU”. The announcement also celebrates the establishment of a “pathway to Hindu chaplaincy,” which is first-of-its-kind and combines the Counselor of Hindu Tradition (CHT) course by HCI with the GTU’s Interreligious Chaplaincy Program (ICP).”
Congratulating the new Motwani Jadeja Hindu Chaplaincy Fellows, Ms. Asha Jadeja, Chair and Founder of MJF, said, “We admire the pioneering decision of the Fellows to enter chaplaincy education and congratulate them for being the first in the long line of chaplains who will follow in their footsteps.” The chaplaincy fellowship program profile fits well with the MJF aspirations for driving compassion and the impact spiritual care services can have on university campuses, hospitals, and many other institutions worldwide.
GTU’s Interreligious Chaplaincy Program is designed to equip leaders to practice spiritual care and serve persons from diverse religious backgrounds. The incoming Hindu scholars will join the program’s other international scholars, furthering GTU’s vision to develop a broad global presence. GTU President Dr. Uriah Kim said, “We are delighted to be celebrating the fruits of many years of collaboration between the GTU and HCI. This new, merit-based fellowship program, generously supported by the Motwani Jadeja Foundation, will enable us to attract even more top talent to the groundbreaking Interreligious Chaplaincy Program.”
“The Interreligious Chaplaincy Program was created to serve the urgent need to increase the competency of spiritual caregivers to address the needs of diverse communities and to train chaplains from underrepresented communities,” said Dr. Kamal Abu-Shamsieh, Director of the Interreligious Chaplaincy Program at the GTU. “This exciting new fellowship aligns beautifully with our ongoing work and will help us to ensure the training of Hindu chaplains and other spiritual caregivers to become well-equipped to serve Hindu populations when working in interreligious contexts.”
Qualified professionals are invited to apply to HCI’s Hindu Chaplaincy Pathway program and GTU’s Interreligious Chaplaincy Program. Applications to the fellowship program are welcome from admitted and currently enrolled students in GTU’s ICP program.
Looking forward, Gaurav Rastogi, HCI Board Member, and Dean said, “HCI’s Pathway-108 program has the ambitious goal of facilitating the education and training of 108 Hindu chaplains into service by 2026. Towards this end, we have launched a $1M Fellowship fund drive and are setting up a support and guidance system for chaplaincy applicants, scholars, and practitioners. With the announcement of the seven Motwani Jadeja Hindu Chaplaincy Fellowships by GTU, we have reached ten Fellows on this pathway. Their profiles may be viewed here“.
