Exit Strategy

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.

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.

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.

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.

When he discovered a trove of images taken by his father, a well-known photographer who died in 2000 from AIDS-related illnesses, Zander Masser embarked on an unexpected journey that led him to finally understand and reveal his unarticulated and repressed grief. The narrative photography book he produced, Unburying My Father, reflects not only loss, but […] The post Confronting Grief With the Stories We Tell appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

Comedy can soften the short and long term sting of death and grief … and can be a salve as we process, adapt and seek some sense and relief during one of life’s most profound challenges. Nick Kroll is one of today’s most sought-after comedians, creators, writers, producers and actors in film and television, and […] The post Can Death be Funny? A Conversation with Nick Kroll appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

It’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month …and we’re talking about how respecting and honoring the sexual and gender identities of LGBTQ+ individuals is as important after death, as it is in life. Dubbs Weinblatt is a genderqueer trans Jew who writes, teaches and advocates for a more trans-affirming and just world for all LGBTQ+ people, and has […] The post Living, and Dying …with Pride appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

An estimated one-third of adults age 60+ live alone, and as solo agers they may lack a greater family support structure as they face inevitable challenges — from quality of life to end-of-life decision making. Claire Solomon Nisen, LMSW, is the manager of DOROT’s Lasting Impressions program in NYC, and Wendl Kornfeld created the Community […] The post Aging Solo, Challenges and Opportunities: Claire Solomon Nisen and Wendl Kornfeld appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

In recognition of “National Donate Life Month,” Rabbi Neil Zuckerman — Associate Rabbi at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York — joins Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry to talk about the place of organ donation in end-of-life conversations … and within the framework of Jewish thought and practice. More Information: National Donate Life Month https://donatelife.net/how-you-can-help/national-observances-celebrations/ndlm/ […] The post Organ Donation as a Mitzvah: Rabbi Neil Zuckerman of Park Avenue Synagogue, NYC appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

“What Matters” is a collaborative initiative by New York Jewish institutions enabling individuals to have conversations about — and document — end-of-life preferences … and engage Jewish values along the way. Rabbi Nicole Auerbach, Dir. of Congregational Engagement at Central Synagogue in New York, and Howard Sharfstein, Honorary President at Central, describe the program and […] The post “What Matters”: Rabbi Nicole Auerbach and Howard Sharfstein of Central Synagogue appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

All losses are unique and present their own challenges, and the death of a daily companion and life partner carries its own. Cantor Rebecca Garfein, former Senior Cantor at Congregation Rodeph Sholom in NYC, and Rick Elice, a famed and award-winning writer for theatre, have faced the loss of a husband and have been public […] The post Dealing with Spousal Loss: Rick Elice and Cantor Rebecca Garfein appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

From the pandemic to racial tensions, and from political dysfunction to war — the term “global grief” has emerged. What is it, and how can we as individuals and communities process the world around us … and find practical and spiritual grounding? Ruth Messinger, former president and CEO of the American Jewish World Service, and […] The post Global Grief: Rabbi Menachem Creditor and Ruth Messinger appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

What do we mean when we say we are looking for “closure” after a loss … and does the term even suggest a desirable outcome? In a widely read column in 2022, Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz — senior rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in NYC — says that to best respect those who we’ve lost, and […] The post Consolation, Not Closure: Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

Adam Cayton-Holland was on an upward trajectory through the national comedy scene in 2012, when his beloved sister Lydia took her own life and everything stopped. In his book Tragedy Plus Time, Adam writes about Lydia and his long journey through grief and depression to reclaim his life and creativity. Adam is interviewed by Exit […] The post After Tragic Loss, Laughing Again: Adam Cayton-Holland appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

What exactly does a funeral director do? And why is he/she/they a critical advocate for anyone planning a funeral? Darren Picht, LFD and Executive Vice President of Funeral Operations at Plaza Jewish Community Chapel in NYC, gives a primer on funeral planning and what we should all do now to be properly prepared. He is […] The post The Funeral Director as Your Advocate: Darren Picht, LFD appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

Are you putting off proper trust and estate planning because the task seems enormous and big decisions must be made? Many of us do, but it’s essential to protect and direct our assets according to our wishes. Jonathan Herlands, Esq. — who heads the Trust and Estates division at Gordon, Herlands & Randolph LLP in […] The post Trust and Estate Planning 101: Jonathan Herlands, Esq. appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

What is an “ethical will” and why is it a critical instrument for your life and legacy? Rabbi Steve Leder of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles is a prominent voice on societal and Jewish communal issues, including meeting death with dignity, finding strength in loss and grief, and being intentional about what we leave […] The post Rethinking — and Living — our Legacies: Rabbi Steve Leder appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

He lost his father to an act of murder, and later emerged as a leading voice dedicated to the reduction of gun violence in our society. Rabbi Joel Mosbacher of Temple Shaaray Tefila in NYC speaks to Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry about his journey from deep grief to advocacy. Video: “On Death and Dying: […] The post The Grief and Aftermath of a Tragic Death: Rabbi Joel Mosbacher appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

Acclaimed Sundance award-winning filmmaker Ondi Timoner and her sister, Rabbi Rachel Timoner of Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn discuss “Last Flight Home” — a new documentary film capturing their father Eli’s journey toward death with dignity … its meaning for multiple generations of his family … and its lessons for us all. Exit Strategy Host […] The post A Dignified Death: “Last Flight Home” appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

We all have our personal stories from September 11, 2001. Where we were. Who we knew. What we did. How we felt. And now, 21 years later, how we still process the loss and grief of that tragic day. In a very personal episode of Exit Strategy, FDNY Chaplain Rabbi Joseph Potasnik and former FDNY […] The post Grief and Memory Born of Tragedy: 9/11 appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.