Jennifer Block
As one of the earliest credentialed Buddhist chaplains in the United States, Jennifer has devoted her career to supporting individuals, families, and communities through illness, aging, grief, loss, and the end of life.
For more than twenty years, Jennifer has served as a core faculty member and educator with the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies in Redwood City, California, where she has trained and mentored generations of Buddhist chaplains. Through teaching, supervision, and leadership, she has contributed significantly to the growth of Buddhist chaplaincy in North America, helping students bring Buddhist wisdom, compassionate presence, and skillful care into healthcare, community, correctional, and end-of-life settings.
This Jizo ceremony reflects Jennifer’s longstanding commitment to compassionate accompaniment and her deep trust in the capacity of Buddhist ritual to support healing, remembrance, and connection in times of grief and loss.
Her work spans hospice care, contemplative education, spiritual care, bereavement support, and chaplaincy training. She earned her graduate degree from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, in 2001 and practices with the Everyday Zen sangha in Marin County, California.