Walking in the Valley of the Shadow
Lehrhaus, the Gamliel Institute, Sinai Memorial Chapel, and the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center will address the challenging issues surrounding death and dying in 5 workshops offered in 4 locations around the Bay Area. The sessions are open to all ages because death and grief have no age limits. Register for the topics that are relevant to you.
Tuesdays, 7:30-9 pm at Congregation Sherith Israel
There are so many things we were not able to learn as children, and here is an opportunity to become confident and comfortable with: Vidui (the Jewish way of last words), Jewish laws, customs and traditions about dying; performing taharah (preparing the body); the funeral service; and issues concerning burial and cremation.
There is deep Jewish wisdom when visiting the sick (“What do I say?”) and consoling the the mourners (“What do I do during shiva?") Sometimes it’s not just family, but also supporting caregivers, comforting the self, and the gift of shiva and how to do it well. Yes, there is shiva etiquette.
In this essential session we will address Kaddish basics, what the Jewish tradition says about mourning and grief and memory, and how to gather community support. We will create a safe place to share special cases such as stillbirth and neonatal death; sudden, and traumatic death. We will explore the customs of the first year and talk about “When does grief really end?”
In this conversation we will survey the diverse range of Jewish conceptions of the soul, the afterlife, resurrection, and reincarnation. We will also reflect on some of the big questions at the end of life: Do I fear death, have I lived a good life, will I be alone?
