RSS Jewish Living - Death, Caretaking, and Mourning

Debatable: Should We Support Physician-Assisted Suicide?

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Phil Cohen (yes) and Barry Block (no). Rabbi Phil Cohen: Let us offer a humane response to patients who needlessly suffer. Rabbi Barry Block: Dont short-circuit the deep meaning in the natural process of death. Summer 2013.

What Works: A Shiva Registry for Mourning Families

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

No byline. A free shiva registry service started by Sharon Rosen can streamline shiva arrangements for congregations and individuals, and strengthen congregational community. Spring 2013.

Divinity of Dementia

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Cary Kozberg. Persons with dementia are messengers from God, helping us to reflect on what it means to be human. Adaptation from the URJ Press book Broken Fragments: Jewish Experiences of Alzheimers Disease through Diagnosis, Adaptation, and Moving On. Spring 2013.

My Marital Masquerade

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Anonymous. My husband was committing crimes to feed his serious drug addiction. I feared public humiliation. Part of Focus: Shanda. Winter 2012.

My Secret Siblings

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Marlene Myerson. Packing up my mothers apartment after her death, I finally found the answers Id yearned for all my life. Part of Focus: Shanda. Winter 2012.

Lifecycle: A Home Dismantled with Devotion

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Jack Riemer. A prayer that can help us as we begin the sacred task of closing down and emptying out our parents home after they die. Summer 2012.

Love IS Stronger than Death

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Rex Perlmeter. Nurturing love in the face of tragedy. Spring 2012.

At Home with Death

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Anson Laytner. Reflective account of the authors decision, after his beloved wife died, to keep her body at home with the family until the funeral. Fall 2011.

Morality: Choosing to Live, Choosing to Die

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Jack Riemer. Do I agree with Christopher Reeve, who was busy until the day he died, or with Moti Gur, who surrendered when he could not defeat cancer? Spring 2011.

Lifecycle: The Rabbi Who Dreaded Death

Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi Zoe Klein. "I have been fearful to the point of terror of my own ultimate demise." Summer 2010.

Reform Responsa: Cremation of a Parent

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi Mark Washofsky. Reform rabbinic rulings on the question: A dying father has instructed that his body be cremated upon death. His adult children are uncomfortable with that request. Does Jewish tradition obligate them to honor their father's wish? Spring 2009.

Debatable: Is Cremation an Acceptable Practice for Reform Jews?

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

YES--Rabbi Samuel Stahl. NO--Rabbi Arnold Gluck. Presents two opposing perspectives rooted in Jewish and Reform Jewish tradition. Spring 2009.

What Works - Ideas & Initiatives

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The New Community Chevra Kaddisha, a burial society in Pittsburgh by and for the entire Jewish community. Winter 2008.

The "New" Jewish Funeral

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi Samuel G. Broude. A Reform rabbi's reflective look at how Jewish funerals have changed over time. Winter 2007.

Messages of Kaddish

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Anita Diamant. A primer on the many meanings of the Mourner's Kaddish. Part of Focus: Exploring Kaddish. Spring 2007.

Pathways to Kaddish

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi Edythe Mencher. Traditional and improvised Kaddish rituals in Reform congregations throughout North America. Part of Focus: Exploring Kaddish. Spring 2007.

Soul Minders

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi David Posner. The critical role that each congregant plays for those observing Kaddish, "'be[ing] there' for one another in this world, so that our loved ones can rest in peace in the next world." Part of Focus: Exploring Kaddish. Spring 2007.

Sounds of Kaddish

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

A musical journey through Kaddish, from Leonard Bernstein's and Maurice Ravel's contemporary compositions to the melodies that have become essential to Jewish worship. Part of Focus: Exploring Kaddish. Spring 2007.

A Jewish Guide to the Moral Maze of Hi-Tech Medicine

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi Mark Washofsky. From the perspective of Reform responsa, is it morally permissible to remove artificial nutrition and hydration from a patient who would otherwise continue to live? Part of Focus: End of Life Decisions. Fall 2005.

End-of-Life Decisions: A Discussion Guide

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Alan D. Bennett. This guide for congregations and families includes an overview, questions for discussion, and a bibliography. Fall 2005.

Reform Positions On...

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT

No byline/excerpts from Reform teachings. Positions on patient rights, prolonging life, quality of life, euthanasia, and organ donation. Part of Focus: End of Life Decisions. Fall 2005.

Stumbling on the Edge of Life

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi Edythe Held Mencher. A true story about adult siblings' medical and ethical choices while overseeing the care of their mother and father sets the groundwork for exploring "a good death" and what it takes for caregivers to find inner peace. Part of Focus: End of Life Decisions. Fall 2005.

The Last Dance

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi Jonathan P. Kendall. Knowing that the angel of death is standing in the wings can either strengthen or splinter a family. How to navigate this challenging terrain. Part of Focus: End of Life Decisions. Fall 2005.

Time

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi Terry Bookman. The author explores two notions of time and two ways to understand our lives and deaths. Part of Focus: End of Life Decisions. Fall 2005.

Together in the Dark

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT

A conversation with Rachel Naomi Remen. Exploring the hidden messages and meanings that emerge in relationships with loved ones who are dying. Part of Focus: End of Life Decisions. Fall 2005.

Dancing in the Kitchen of Memory

Tue, 01 May 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Nadine Kraman. A personal remembrance: "My mother and I are deep in the dance of gefilte-fish making--an art form which my mother, and my father, of blessed memory, had perfected over the years." Part of Focus: Rituals of Remembrance. Spring 2001

Final Touches

Tue, 01 May 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Nancy Maxwell. How and why Reform Jews partake in the act of washing and dressing a corpse. Part of Focus: Rituals of Remembrance. Spring 2001.

Relationships Never Die

Tue, 01 May 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Anne Brener. How to cultivate the relationship connections that will allow us to transcend our separation from those we have lost. Part of Focus: Rituals of Remembrance. Spring 2001.

Tender Truths

Tue, 01 May 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig. Understanding the funeral as a time to speak candidly - albeit respectfully - about the deceased. Part of Focus: Rituals of Remembrance. Spring 2001.

On Being the Kaddish

Sun, 01 Apr 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Patricia Z. Fischer. Reflecting on what it means to be a Kaddish-to be willing to bear the grief of remembering. Part of Focus: Rituals of Remembrance. Spring 2001.

Responsa: Why Judaism Opposes Assisted Suicide

Mon, 01 Sep 1997 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi Mark Washofsky. Jewish prohibitions against euthanasia and suicide originate from Judaism's affirmation that human life ultimately belongs to God. Summer 1997.

No Visitation

Fri, 01 Aug 1997 00:00:00 GMT

"Two words that bring no comfort to the mourner and do an injustice to the memory of the deceased." Part of Focus: Death & Bereavement. Summer 1997.

You Are Not Alone

Fri, 01 Aug 1997 00:00:00 GMT

Beth M. Gilbert. Temple bereavement support groups are helping mourners express their pain and cope with loss. Summer 1997.

Jewish Wisdom for the End of Life

Tue, 01 Jul 1997 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi Jack Riemer. Five of Jewish tradition's central insights about how to live and die as a Jew. Part of Focus: Death & Bereavement. Summer 1997.

Reclaiming the Mourner's Path

Tue, 01 Jul 1997 00:00:00 GMT

Anne Brener. "My rough road to healing was eased by following an ancient [Jewish] map." Part of Focus: Death & Bereavement. Summer 1997.

Q & A

Fri, 01 May 1992 00:00:00 GMT

Rabbi Bernard M. Zlotowitz. Response to a question about the origin of the Kaddish and when it is to be recited. Spring 1992.