“Jewish Perspectives on Rituals of Death and Mourning” presented by Dr. Gila Silverman.

Public registration available.

Shomer Collective presenting “People of the Sandwich: The Jewish Case for Talking about Death & Dying” for Wexner Heritage Alumni

Shomer Collective presents: Life and Death Through Jewish Wisdom: Confronting Mortality on Zayin Adar

Shomer Collective presenting “What Does a Good Day Look Like? End-of-Life Conversations in a Jewish Context.”

As any Barbie or Ken knows, talking about death can be hard. But we can – and should – have these brave conversations.

Join Recustom and Shomer Collective for a guided exploration for people in their 20s and 30s to take the first steps toward end-of-life conversations and planning grounded by Jewish wisdom and rituals. Together, we will navigate the challenging questions, gain clarity about what matters to you, and create rituals for sharing your wishes with loved ones.

During this 90-minute session, you will:

• Find out what a healthcare agent is and how to select one

• Learn the importance of documenting your wishes and how to do it

• See what Jewish traditions and teachings have to say about planning for end-of-life

• Create your own ritual for end-of-life conversations

• Have an opportunity to ask your pressing questions

Please note that this session will not be recorded to protect the privacy of attendees and allow for detailed questions.

How do traditional Jewish texts encourage us to confront our mortality and add meaning to our lives today? And what’s milk got to do with it?

In this text-based learning session, we will explore classic Jewish stories about death and dying, from the death of Sarah our matriarch in the Torah, through the Talmud, in which the rabbis imagine what it might feel like to die, to modern thinkers’ attempts to make sense of the finality of bodily life. 

Teacher:

Rabbi Melanie Levav BCC, LMSW

Rabbi Melanie Levav is the Executive Director of the Shomer Collective. Previously, Melanie served as Director of PJ Library in New York, a Jewish family literacy and engagement program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Melanie has also served as the Assistant Executive Director, Financial Resource Development, and Director of Pastoral Care at the Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst, a JCC serving the Russian-speaking Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York. She has held positions at JCC Association, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and UJA-Federation of New York, in the areas of Jewish education, volunteer management, and fundraising. Melanie was ordained as a rabbi by the Jewish Theological Seminary as a Wexner Graduate Fellow, is board certified as a chaplain through Neshama: The National Association of Jewish Chaplains, and is a licensed social worker.

Program Description:

Centuries ago, Kabbalistic Jewish mystics often faced their own mortality through expanded consciousness as means of letting go of pain and trauma. Today, new research has touted the possibilities of the use of psychedelics in helping people overcome death anxieties and feel at peace as they approach death. Join us with an open mind and your questions as we delve into a research-based exploration of both modern and ancient Jewish perspectives on expanded consciousness around end of life.

Recording:

Speakers:

Rabbi Zac Kamenetz

Rabbi Zac Kamenetz - Founder and CEO of Shefa–is a rabbi, community leader, and aspiring psychedelic-assisted chaplain based in Berkeley, CA. He holds an MA in Biblical literature and languages from UC Berkeley and the Graduate Theological Union and received rabbinic ordination in 2012.  As the founder and CEO of Shefa, Zac is pioneering a movement to integrate safe and supported psychedelic use into the Jewish spiritual tradition, advocate for individuals and communities to heal individual and inherited trauma, and inspire a Jewish religious and creative renaissance in the 21st century.

Mati Esther Engel

Mati Esther Engel is a Spiritual Care strategist and consultant. She has extensive training in clinical hospital-based chaplaincy, specializing in treating palliative care patients and serving on transplant and addiction units. She is practiced in accompanying patients and families through important life transitions specifically, end-of-life care, goals of care decision-making, and trauma intervention. Mati uses her training in performance art to develop spiritual care techniques in the service of bringing spiritual care, grief counseling, and theological artistry to a public audience. Her research bridges the worlds of existentialist and humanist thought; utilizing poetics and ritual as mediums for facilitating conversations for our times. She received her Masters’ degree from The University of Chicago and in Jewish studies at the PAIDEIA Jewish Institute. Mati completed her chaplaincy training in palliative care at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, serving the spiritual and existential needs of hospice patients in the New England region. She is currently serving as a Spiritual Consultant and Guide, at Inward, a Spiritual Care startup that is driven to democratize and innovate chaplaincy education and best practices. She also offers psychedelic integration counseling to clients across the United States. You can find her chaplaincy work documented in the recently released U.S Documentary, A Still Small Voice, featured at The Sundance Film Festival in 2023. 

We can all benefit from the miraculous gift-of-life afforded by organ donation. Yet many questions exist about Jewish perspectives on organ donation. Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody, the new executive director of the oldest Jewish organization promoting organ donation, will help dispel myths about Jews and organ donation while confronting the real dilemmas posed by organ transplantation.

Speaker:

Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody is the executive director of the Halachic Organ Donor Society and the Jewish Law Live columnist for the Jerusalem Post. He previously served as the co-dean of the Tikvah Online Academy, as a senior instructor (Ra”m) at Yeshivat Hakotel, and as a junior research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute. His writings focus on making Jewish texts accessible to broader audiences while applying them to contemporary social and ethical dilemmas. His work has appeared in Mosaic, Tradition, First Things, The Federalist, Tablet, Tzohar, The Forward, Hakirah, The Torah u-Madda Journal, and other popular publications, and has been cited in Israeli Supreme Court decisions.

His first book, A Guide to the Complex: Contemporary Halakhic Debates (Maggid), received a 2014 National Jewish Book Award. His next book, Judaism Confronts War: Jewish Military Ethics for the 21st Century, is due out in 2023. A summa cum laude graduate of Harvard College, he received rabbinic ordination from the Israeli Chief Rabbinate, an MA in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University, and his PhD from Bar Ilan University Law School, where he continues to serve as a postdoctoral fellow.

Shomer Collective’s mission is to improve end-of-life experiences for individuals and their families by using the depths of Jewish wisdom and values that our tradition has to offer us.

As many of us may be joining with family virtually or in person this Thanksgiving and Hanukkah season, we invite you to join us for an in-depth exploration of how to approach end-of-life conversations with loved ones. 

We’ll explore: 

• How might we transform potentially challenging conversations into an opportunity to deepen relationships and understanding across generations? 

• How can we approach differences of opinion and varieties of Jewish traditions with empathy and clarity? 

• And, how can planning for the end of life now, lead us to Live WELL in face of mortality, knowing that tomorrow isn't guaranteed for anyone? 

A conversation for anyone who wants to talk to their loved ones about values and wishes related to the end of life for themselves or their loved ones.

Taught by: Rabbi Melanie Levav in Conversation with Arielle Friedtanzer, End-of-Life Consultant

Arielle Friedtanzer received an individualized Master’s degree at NYU in May 2018, concentrating in Judaic Studies, Bioethics, and Social Work, and has completed 800 clinical hours with the goal of becoming an interfaith chaplain. She traveled the country with her husband for almost 20 months, engaging communities in conversations about advanced care planning, death, and grief, before taking a pause due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. At that point, she turned the in-person workshops and presentations she had been doing on the road into virtual events, including her weekly Facebook Live series, Millennials and Mortality Mondays. Arielle believes that some of the stigma around aging and the fear of death can be mitigated through early and frequent dialogue, and strives to help individuals draft the endings to their own stories by starting the conversation now.

Rabbi Melanie Levav is the founding Executive Director of the Shomer Collective. In Jewish practice, a shomer (Hebrew: guard) sits with the body of the deceased from the time of death until the time of burial, accompanying the soul on the beginning of its journey in separating from the body. Shomer Collective seeks to accompany individuals and families on their journey to plan for the end of life, by curating resources that elevate Jewish wisdom, values, and practices. Melanie was ordained as a rabbi ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, is a board-certified chaplain, and a licensed social worker.

EOL 101 is an ongoing free course from the EOL Collective connecting you directly with knowledgeable and compassionate leaders in the End of Life space.

Rabbi Melanie Levav is the founding Executive Director of the Shomer Collective. In Jewish practice, a shomer (Hebrew: guard) sits with the body of the deceased from the time of death until the time of burial, accompanying the soul on the beginning of its journey in separating from the body. Shomer Collective seeks to accompany individuals and families on their journey to plan for end of life, by curating resources that elevate Jewish wisdom, values, and practices. Melanie was ordained as a rabbi ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, is a board certified chaplain, and a licensed social worker.

Afterlife & Contemporary Death Rituals: Spiritual Wisdom for Today
If we start with the assumption that consciousness survives bodily death, how does that affect the way we think about the traditional death rituals of funeral, shiva, Kaddish, etc. We will look at practical applications of Jewish afterlife teachings.

This is session 3 of the 3-part series, Exploring Jewish Views of the Afterlife: Traditional and Contemporary Perspectives. An exploration of little-known teachings on the afterlife journey of the soul found in both traditional and mystical Judaism. As travelers through time, we will enter the worlds of Torah (Hebrew Bible), Talmud (Oral Law), Midrash (Biblical exegesis), and mystical Jewish tales investigating diverse ways Judaism has understood the enigmatic mystery of death and the world beyond.

A “Scholar-at-my-Residence” Mini-Course with Reb Simcha Raphael

REB SIMCHA RAPHAEL, PH.D. is Founding Director of the DA’AT Institute for Death Awareness, Advocacy and Training. He has served as Adjunct Professor of Religion at LaSalle University and Temple University, is Faculty of the Art of Dying Institute of the New York Open Center, and a member of the Rabbis Without Borders Network. He works as a psychotherapist and spiritual director in the Philadelphia area, and is author of numerous publications including the groundbreaking Jewish Views of the Afterlife, and co-editor of Jewish End-of-Life Care in a Virtual Age: Our Traditions Reimagined (2021). His website is www.daatinstitute.net.

Afterlife in Kabbalistic Tradition: Post-Mortem Journey of the Soul
Medieval Kabbalah and later Hasidism developed extensive teachings on afterlife and we will look at the journey of the soul in Zohar and Hasidic stories.

This is session 2 of the 3-part series, Exploring Jewish Views of the Afterlife: Traditional and Contemporary Perspectives. An exploration of little-known teachings on the afterlife journey of the soul found in both traditional and mystical Judaism. As travelers through time, we will enter the worlds of Torah (Hebrew Bible), Talmud (Oral Law), Midrash (Biblical exegesis), and mystical Jewish tales investigating diverse ways Judaism has understood the enigmatic mystery of death and the world beyond.

A “Scholar-at-my-Residence” Mini-Course with Reb Simcha Raphael

REB SIMCHA RAPHAEL, PH.D. is Founding Director of the DA’AT Institute for Death Awareness, Advocacy and Training. He has served as Adjunct Professor of Religion at LaSalle University and Temple University, is Faculty of the Art of Dying Institute of the New York Open Center, and a member of the Rabbis Without Borders Network. He works as a psychotherapist and spiritual director in the Philadelphia area, and is author of numerous publications including the groundbreaking Jewish Views of the Afterlife, and co-editor of Jewish End-of-Life Care in a Virtual Age: Our Traditions Reimagined (2021). His website is www.daatinstitute.net.

Afterlife in Biblical & Rabbinic Tradition: Sheol & Olam Haba
This introductory session will explore Biblical texts to find often-ignored teachings on life after death. We will also study ideas about the world to come and the Angel of Death, as found in the Talmud -- Jewish Oral Law.

This is session 1 of the 3-part series, Exploring Jewish Views of the Afterlife: Traditional and Contemporary Perspectives. An exploration of little-known teachings on the afterlife journey of the soul found in both traditional and mystical Judaism. As travelers through time, we will enter the worlds of Torah (Hebrew Bible), Talmud (Oral Law), Midrash (Biblical exegesis), and mystical Jewish tales investigating diverse ways Judaism has understood the enigmatic mystery of death and the world beyond.

A “Scholar-at-my-Residence” Mini-Course with Reb Simcha Raphael

REB SIMCHA RAPHAEL, PH.D. is Founding Director of the DA’AT Institute for Death Awareness, Advocacy and Training. He has served as Adjunct Professor of Religion at LaSalle University and Temple University, is Faculty of the Art of Dying Institute of the New York Open Center, and a member of the Rabbis Without Borders Network. He works as a psychotherapist and spiritual director in the Philadelphia area, and is author of numerous publications including the groundbreaking Jewish Views of the Afterlife, and co-editor of Jewish End-of-Life Care in a Virtual Age: Our Traditions Reimagined (2021). His website is www.daatinstitute.net.

Making Plans, Letting Go
Participants will explore ideas around advance care planning, considering Jewish and personal values, communicating end-of-life wishes to loved ones, and how Jewish tradition supports the practice of conversations about how we want to live as we approach death.

This is the final session of the 3-part series, Death and Dying in Jewish Tradition: A Deeper Dive. Each session is a standalone program.

Taught by: Rabbi Melanie Levav

Rabbi Melanie Levav, founding executive director of the Shomer Collective, powered by Natan, is a board-certified chaplain and licensed social worker specializing in end of life care and conversations.

Body and Soul: Healing and Wholeness
Jewish tradition draws a clear distinction between body and soul. In this class, participants will explore ideas about caring for our bodies and caring for our souls, both in life and in death, along with an exploration of prayers for healing as related to making healthcare decisions around end-of-life.

This is session 2 of the 3-part series, Death and Dying in Jewish Tradition: A Deeper Dive. Participants are encouraged to join for all 3 sessions, but each session is a standalone program.

Taught by: Rabbi Melanie Levav

Rabbi Melanie Levav, founding executive director of the Shomer Collective, powered by Natan, is a board-certified chaplain and licensed social worker specializing in end of life care and conversations.

Beginning at the End: Contemplating Mortality
From biblical stories of deathbed conversations to contemporary Jewish wisdom, participants will begin to explore end-of-life issues, considering what might constitute a "good" life and a "good death."

This is session 1 of the 3-part series, Death and Dying in Jewish Tradition: A Deeper Dive. Participants are encouraged to join for all 3 sessions, but each session is a standalone program.

Taught by: Rabbi Melanie Levav

Rabbi Melanie Levav, founding executive director of the Shomer Collective, powered by Natan, is a board-certified chaplain and licensed social worker specializing in end of life care and conversations.

Revelation and Mortality: Contemplating Life While Standing at the Foot of the Mountain

Shavuot, the feast of weeks, is the holiday on which it is said the Torah (Hebrew Bible, written Law) was received on Mount Sinai. A famous story in the Talmud (collection of Oral Law) teaches that God held Mount Sinai over the heads of the children of Israel unless they agreed to accept the Torah; if they did not accept, that spot was to become their burial place. In this pre-Shavuot class, we will explore this story and more as we relate to the work of contemplating our own mortality.

Taught by: Rabbi Melanie Levav

Rabbi Melanie Levav, founding executive director of the Shomer Collective, powered by Natan, is a board-certified chaplain and licensed social worker specializing in end of life care and conversations.

Jewish Death and Dying 101

In this introductory class, participants will explore Jewish wisdom and practice around death and dying. Topics may include: the value of life in Jewish tradition, illness and suffering according to Jewish law, the transmission of our values to the next generation, and saying goodbye.

Taught by: Rabbi Melanie Levav

Rabbi Melanie Levav, founding executive director of the Shomer Collective, powered by Natan, is a board-certified chaplain and licensed social worker specializing in end of life care and conversations.

In Light of Mortality: A Hanukkah Conversation About Life

In the darkest time of the year, as we approach the holiday of light, join us for a conversation with Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum and Rabbi Steven Sager about the ways in which we bring light into the darkness during Hanukkah and year-round through the ongoing recognition of our own mortality.

Featuring:
Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum, Rabbi and Executive Director of the Kavana Cooperative
Rabbi Steven Sager, Director of Sicha

Moderated by: Rabbi Melanie Levav, Rabbinic Director of Shomer Collective