Reclaiming the Mourner's Path
Mourning can be a strange and foreign land. It helps to have a map. The best map available is the one provided by the rituals of Jewish mourning.
Death and Mourning
Wake Up Call: The Story of One Woman's Quest to Save Lives
On the night of May 5, 2008, I awoke to the sight of my husband's arms flailing, face contorting, eyes rolling back in the head.Alan was having a grand mal seizure. Unable to wake him, I called 911.
The Last Dance
There are few things more painful than to watch a loved one slip away. Ask any caregiver, any spouse, child, sibling, or parent, and they will tell you that waiting for the other shoe to drop can suck the marrow from your bones.
The "New" Jewish Funeral
In the past, when meeting with a family, a rabbi would say, "Tell me about the deceased." Nowadays they is more likely to ask, "Who will be speaking at the service?"
At Home with Death
When my wife Merrily died of ovarian cancer last fall, we did something highly unusual in this age and place: we kept her body with us at home until the funeral. I am glad we did.
