What’s one thing we’re all good at? How about not talking — or even thinking — about end-of-life issues.
Plaza Jewish Community Chapel opened in 2021 with a nonprofit model elevating dignity, affordability, and education on end-of-life issues, and over a quarter century has become rooted in New York City and beyond as a dynamic mainstay of Jewish communal life and service. In this special episode — as Plaza moves towards its 25th anniversary […] The post Plaza@25: The Vision and The Impact appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
3/22/25 • 16:58
Telling our stories — and listening to those of others — connects us through common journeys, often difficult ones, grief included. In a new, bestselling anthology about the Jewish experience post-October 7 — On Being Jewish Now: Reflections from Authors and Advocates — Zibby Owens, a prominent author, publisher and podcaster, brings together diverse voices […] The post Storytelling, on the Path through Grief appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
2/24/25 • 19:03
In Pacific Palisades, in the midst of the overwhelming destruction and grief wrought by the January infernos, Kehillat Israel (KI) stands and endures as a symbol and beacon of hope and renewal. Rabbi Daniel Sher — who lost his home along with hundreds of other KI congregants — speaks just weeks after the fires with […] The post After the Devastating Fires, The Jewish Roadmap Forward appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
2/10/25 • 31:18
Living through or witnessing devastation and loss — such as that caused by fires in Los Angeles, or war in Israel — generates levels of stress, trauma and grief. Embracing and practicing hope and resilience is critical for our emotional and physical health, says Dr. Eva Selhub — a prominent expert and writer on human […] The post Facing Challenge, the Power of Resilience appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
1/17/25 • 21:35
End-of-life conversations and practices are increasingly emergent in the Jewish community, as communal entities bring attention to the value and beauty of deeply rooted Jewish thought and tradition surrounding death. Kavod v’Nichum (Hebrew for “Honor and Comfort”) is creating and empowering Chevra Kadisha — sacred communities that care for the deceased and comfort the living. […] The post “Honor and Comfort” — Giving Space to End-of-Life Ritual and Practice appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
11/18/24 • 23:16
In his new and widely acclaimed book — “For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today” — Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue in NYC uses Jewish history and storytelling to frame the challenges facing the Jewish community post-Oct 7 … the individual and collective grief and sense of isolation … and […] The post Post-October 7, Reaching for Community, Future and Hope: A Conversation with Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
10/28/24 • 24:04
A year after October 7, we are individually and collectively seeking a marker to frame our grief and our trauma, but is that even possible? “The difficulty of commemorating October 7 is that we’re still in the middle of it … you can’t look back with a sense of completion,” says Rabbi Donald Goor, Rabbi […] The post October 7: Marking a Year, and Embracing Hope appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
9/30/24 • 21:01
Monuments are the types of memorials — headstones, footstones, markers and more — we place at a loved one’s final resting place, and honor a life. So what are our choices? How creative can we be with design? When should we start to think about a monument, and what about maintaining it over time? Adam […] The post From Headstones to Footstones: Marking and Honoring a Life appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
9/18/24 • 19:08
Can universal principles of spirituality join with classic psychotherapy and other modes of western medicine to help us navigate our journeys and their challenges? Anna Yusim, MD, a Stanford and Yale educated and board certified psychiatrist and executive coach, has moved the holistic approach forward in practice and in myriad writings, including her recent book, […] The post Embracing Spirituality on the Road of Life appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
8/14/24 • 17:39
Jewish not-for-profit funeral chapels are making impact not only as service providers, but also as educators, conveners and community builders in an evolving Jewish landscape. Plaza Jewish Community Chapel in New York City and Sinai Memorial Chapel in San Francisco are leaders of this unique and impactful model — here discussed by Stephanie Garry, Exit […] The post Jewish Not-for-Profit Funeral Chapels: Impact and Challenge appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
7/17/24 • 24:55
Tony Award winning actor Miriam Silverman lost her mother, Anita, during a pre-Broadway run of the hit play The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window just last year. Her father’s insistence that she stay committed to the play — along with her love for her craft — propelled her forward in a role, on a stage, […] The post Grieving, an Actor Finds Anchor on the Stage appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
6/12/24 • 21:30
A current off-Broadway production, October 7: In Their Own Words, dramatizes the verbatim testimonies of Israelis from that and following days, revealing raw expressions and interpretations of trauma and grief … and also resilience. Director Geoffrey Cantor joins Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry to discuss this groundbreaking, original play … and how live theatre provides […] The post A New Off-Broadway Play Bears Witness to Oct. 7, Giving Space to Grief and Resilience appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
6/4/24 • 19:38
Come Memorial Day, we will honor US military personnel who died while serving … and be mindful of our veterans and those among them we’ve lost. Edward Yarmus — a licensed funeral director at Plaza Jewish Community Chapel — is a US Air Force veteran himself. He speaks with Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry about […] The post Honoring Those Who Served, at End of Life appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
5/21/24 • 10:18
She spends her professional life elevating conversations about death and loss — including as host of this podcast series. But when her own mother — Eileen — died in February, Stephanie Garry was thrust into the journey of mourning and grief herself, gaining new and greater perspective through the lens of her own family. In this special […] The post And Now, My Own Loss and Grief appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
5/6/24 • 19:16
In January, New England and national radio and podcast personality Jordan Rich went public with his recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease — modeling for us how uncertainty and grief surrounding a medical diagnosis can evolve into a purposeful, expansive and uplifting resilience. Jordan speaks about his journey with Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry as we […] The post Facing Adversity, with Purpose and Resilience appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
4/3/24 • 20:20
On the 23rd anniversary of Plaza Jewish Community Chapel’s 2001 opening, Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry welcomes Rachel Schnoll, CEO of the Jewish Communal Fund — one of Plaza’s founding funders, whose support allowed Plaza to open its doors to serve the Jewish community and to elevate end-of-life conversations and issues. In this wide-ranging talk, […] The post Building and Leaving a Legacy of Jewish Giving appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
3/6/24 • 26:24
New York’s first Reform Chevra Kaddisha (“holy society”) is introducing sacred end-of-life practices to a wider Jewish community, and elevating the mitzvah of caring for our dead. The Reform Chevra Kaddisha was established in 2023, and here its founders discuss its groundbreaking nature and its place and meaning within progressive Jewish communities and families. Speakers: […] The post New York’s First Reform Chevra Kaddisha: Elevating End-of-Life Ritual and Conversation appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
2/19/24 • 20:50
On October 7, Hayim Yeshurun Katsman, 32, was among the over 1,200 people tragically lost in the terrorist massacre in southern Israel. In the days, weeks and months since, Hayim’s mother — Hannah Wacholder Katsman — has journeyed through grief and mourning at once private and public. In this special episode, Exit Strategy Host Stephanie […] The post An Israeli Mother, Her Son … and a Personal and Collective Loss appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
2/7/24 • 25:19
As we begin 2024, Rabbi Gordon Tucker — Vice Chancellor for Religious Life and Engagement at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America — joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the state and evolving place of end-of-life issues in our communal dialogue, and the imperative to advance it. Rabbi Tucker speaks with Exit Strategy Host […] The post End-of-Life Conversations: A View from the Top appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
1/8/24 • 19:40
After her 15-year-old son Joshua was tragically struck by a car and died in 2002, Nancy Rothstein discovered a deep inner strength that led her to an affirming view of her life and Joshua’s ever-inspiring and growing presence in it. Nancy is the author of Rising in the Mourning: Ways to Celebrate Life (2022), in […] The post After a Son’s Death, Finding Meaning in Life appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
12/4/23 • 24:01
A loved one develops dementia, and she is there, but she isn’t. Or he is abducted, and may come back, or he might not. And so we experience “ambiguous loss,” a grey, unresolved state that presents unique challenges to our mental and emotional well being … and that must be recognized and respected. In this […] The post Ambiguous Loss: What We Need to Know appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
11/15/23 • 21:48
We must all consider advanced age — for ourselves or our loved ones — and have conversations and make decisions leading to the best possible outcomes in later years. Hildy Sheinbaum, of H. Sheinbaum & Associates, is a registered nurse and geriatric nurse care manager who advises individuals and families on issues of care for […] The post Advancing Age: What Should We be Thinking About? appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
11/6/23 • 22:43
An estimated one in four women will suffer loss of a child during pregnancy or infancy, opening a well of grief and sorrow that touches parents, families and their wider circles. As Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is now marked, Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry speaks with Perry-Lynn Moffitt — author of the influential […] The post The Silent Sorrow of Pregnancy and Infant Loss appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
10/27/23 • 27:24
As we absorb the atrocities and losses coming out of the unspeakable terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7th, how do we deal with our tremendous individual and community shock, trauma and grief … at this moment and in the long term? Rabbi David Ingber, Senior Director for Jewish Life at 92Y, Founding Rabbi at […] The post After the Attack on Israel … Dealing with our Shock, Grief and Loss appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
10/16/23 • 19:17
For those living with blindness, low vision or print disability, JBI International offers a free library of Jewish interest books and publications, including liturgical texts, enabling connection to the rich literary, cultural and religious life of the Jewish community. As an accompanying episode to host Stephanie Garry’s conversation with Edward Hirsch, Exit Strategy welcomes JBI […] The post Bonus Episode! For Persons with Visual Impairment, Access to Jewish Life appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
10/3/23 • 09:08
After his son Gabriel died in 2011 at age 22, acclaimed poet Edward Hirsch navigated grief by writing Gabriel: A Poem, a slim-book-length elegy that The New Yorker called a “masterpiece of sorrow.” Published in 2014, the work is a seminal piece in the literature of grief and a point of connection for others in […] The post A Poet’s Loss, and Grief appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
10/3/23 • 38:18
Through beautifully curated poetry, ritual, music and textual wisdom, Rabbi Lisa D. Grant, PhD and Cantor Lisa B. Segal offer us a guided roadmap through the first year of loss in The Year of Mourning: A Jewish Journey …published in June with an accompanying app that deepens engagement and meaningfullness. Rabbi Grant, Director of the […] The post Mourning, A Roadmap appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
9/20/23 • 24:49
In the days after 9/11, Micki Pagano noticed a cloud above the World Trade Center site, and it made her wonder that maybe it wasn’t a cloud at all, but the collective souls of those who lost their lives that day. The image inspired her 2022 book, The Road To Beyond — a tale told through the […] The post 9/11: Finding Meaning Through Magical Thinking appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
9/7/23 • 14:30
In her widely acclaimed debut book — Heartwood, The Art of Living with the End in Mind — author Barbara Becker tells stories of loss and leads readers into an enlightened perspective on death … and consequentially, of life. Among her many journeys, Barbara worked for years in the compassionate care sector and at age […] The post Leaning In to Loss, and Life appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
8/21/23 • 29:00
Grief is generated from many types of loss … takes a variety of forms … and manifests in myriad ways. But as individuals and a society, we rarely talk about it. As National Grief Awareness Day approaches on Aug. 30th, Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry welcomes Rivka Nissel, LCSW, Director of Jewish Community Services at […] The post The Grief Puzzle appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
8/7/23 • 42:47
