Exit Strategy

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.