Unveiling Death: Eternity in About 24 Minutes

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.

That Cosmic Feeling: A Conversation with Lee Feinberg

Lee Feinberg has been the Telescope Manager and lead optical engineer for the James Webb Space Telescope for more than two decades. He previously worked on the Hubble Space Telescope.
Feinberg plays far-out keyboards with the bands Honeyfunk and The Allman Others.

Far-Out Outtakes with Feinberg: A Midrash, the Unknowable Universe, and the Hubble Correction

The Funeral Director Profession: A Conversation with David Jacobson

David Jacobson founded Chicago Jewish Funerals in 1997 to provide a service to the community that was as attentive to the needs of the bereaved as it was to the traditions of the Jewish people.
David is a leading expert on Kavod Hamet, the Jewish commandment to honor the dead. He speaks frequently to community groups, schools, and synagogues. David lives in Evanston, Illinois.
Also check out the podcast Groundbreaking on which David was recently a guest.

October 7 – Death and Tragedy in the Jewish Mind: A Conversation with Rabbi Matt Reimer and Rabbi Josh Rose

Rabbi Matt Reimer is associate director of Congregational Consulting and Transition Services for the Union of Reform Judaism. He has served congregations of all sizes. His goal is to help synagogues find relevance and meaning in Jewish tradition. He lives in New York City.
Rabbi Josh Rose is the founding director of Co/Lab: Reimagine Jewish, which opens doors to Jewish connection through arts, ideas, and culture. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
Rabbis Matt, Josh, and I put out another podcast, Weird Being Jewish. Check it out.

Hinduism and Death: A Conversation with Dr. Vijay Satnarine

Vijay Satnarine is the director of education for the Hindu American Foundation, at which he prepares educational materials for Hindu Americans and for the broader American public. Dr. Satnarine strives to bring compassionate ancestral techniques to difficult conversations and to transmit the teachings of his ancestors with integrity and relevance for our times. He is also an acharya, a priest and senior scholar highly versed in Hindu scripture. Dr. Satnarine lives in Orlando, Florida.

Obituary Writing as Ministry: A Conversation with Chicago Tribune Reporter Bob Goldsborough

Bob Goldsborough is a freelance journalist for the Chicago Tribune. He writes obituaries of local luminaries and reports on celebrity real estate transactions. Bob is also a local historian, particularly of Wheaton, Illinois, where he was raised and lives.  He offers presentations on Wheaton's notable citizens and architecture.