Unveiling Death: Eternity in About 24 Minutes

Death Tags and Honorifics:

Her Memory for Blessing? Peace Be Upon Him? Blessed is the True Judge? In this joint episode of Unveiling Death and Weird Being Jewish, Rabbi Matt Reimer, Rabbi Josh Rose and I explore what these phrases mean and whether we should use them at all. 

Into that Good Night: Visiting a Poem with My Old Friend, Author Michael Chorost

Michael Chorost is a book author and public speaker. His first book, Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human, is a memoir of going deaf and receiving a cochlear implant. Rebuilt won the Pen-USA Award for Creative Non-Fiction. His second book, World Wide Mind, is about brain-scanning and the prospect of direct communication from one brain to another. Michael has also written for Wired, the Chronicle for Higher Education, and New Scientist, among others. He is seeking an agent for his science fiction novel about communicating with intelligent insect colonies. His website is www.michaelchorost.com. Michael lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and their two cats. 

The Baha’i Faith and Death: Wherefore Dost Thou Grieve? with Lauren Herrmann and Jeremy Pane

Lauren Herrmann is a multifaceted creative and certified death midwife. Jeremy Pane is a Brick Specialist at Lego and editor at Baha’i Publishing.
Both Lauren and Jeremy were born and raised in the Baha’I faith and live in and around Chicago.
Contact me at rabbiw14@gmail.com and please follow and share Unveiling Death.

Old Brain, New Brain: Life and Hope After a Catastrophic Stroke with Jennifer Rose Goldman and Caryn Meg Hirshleifer

Jennifer Rose Goldman is a motivational speaker on wellness and self-care. She created and taught the six-week course, “Lead Your Life.” Jenn was CEO of the aromatherapy beauty brand Essential Rose, which she founded in her college dorm room. Jenn is passionate about all things spiritual. She suffered a major stroke in 2021, days before her thirty-first birthday.
Caryn Meg Hirshleifer, Jenn’s mom, is co-owner and general counsel of Hirshleifers, a luxury retail business in Manhasset, New York. Hirshleifers was founded in 1910. Caryn previously served as an attorney in New York City government. She plays rock and roll bass.
Jenn and Caryn are co-authors of In the Face of Catastrophe: How a Traumatic Brain Injury Became a Blessing.
Please contact me at rabbiw14@gmail.com. Please follow and share this podcast.

The Kosher Casket, Washing Bodies,Talking to Souls and More: A Conversation with Jewish Death Educator David Zinner

David Zinner is co-founder of JADE, the Jewish Association for Death Education. He also founded and was director of the advocacy and education organization, Kavod v’Nichum, Honor and Comfort. One of David’s recent projects is PRINCE: the Preservation and Restoration Initiative for Neglected Cemetery Entities, which matches neglected cemeteries with prisoners eligible for work release. David is a consumer representative on Maryland’s Advisory Council on Cemetery Operations, and he is a bike leader for Cycle to Health. He was executive director of Tifereth Israel Congregation in Washington, DC.

Everything Aligned: A Divine Calling to the Death Profession

Marguerite O'Connor, M.Ed., is co-author of Griefstruck: When a Death Changes Your Life. She is currently “Goodwill Ambassador” for Chicago Jewish Funerals. She previously served as a funeral director, funeral celebrant, and mortuary college instructor. Marguerite is a member of American Association of University Women, League of Women Voters & Toastmasters International. Marguerite is passionate about sharing “lessons learned.”

So, Why A Podcast About Death? My daughter Betsy Weill Interviews Me Again

Some have been incredulous, some downright disgusted: Why would anyone launch a podcast about death? In this episode of Unveiling Death, Betsy poses this question. Luckily, like me, she doesn’t find the topic of mortality to be morbid. Chip off the old block. Enjoy our conversation, and please share this and other Unveiling Death episodes with family, friends, and enemies, and follow us.  

Eulogies are Stories: A Yizkor Sermon

One important Jewish ritual of remembrance is the Yizkor service, which occurs four times annually within certain holiday services. Yizkor is Hebrew for “He will remember” or “May He remember,” meaning may God remember and protect the souls of our deceased loved ones. But Yizkor really provides us the opportunity to recite prayers for our loved ones who have died -- to recite prayers for them and to remember them. Here is the Yizkor sermon I offered on Yom Kippur 2024.

My Wife’s Suicide, My Struggle to Move Forward: A Conversation with Alan Farkas

Alan Farkas is a software architect with more than 40 years of IT experience as a consultant and application developer. He works for a leading global services firm. Alan also serves on the Board of Ezra-Habonim, the Niles Township Jewish Congregation, in Skokie, Illinois.
Alan lives in Des Plaines, Illinois, with his 14-year-old Shih-Tzu, Peekie, and Morty, his 4-year-old Siamese cat.

The Palliative Care Physician: A Conversation with Dr. Tara Coles

Dr. Tara Coles is a double-board certified physician in emergency medicine and palliative care medicine. She currently exclusively practices in-patient palliative care for hospitalized patients and families. She is passionate about medical education and promoting well-being in medicine. She is also a spouse and a mother to four children, plus two dogs.