Dear Dawn: I read where you said that parents should decide how they want to be buried and tell their children. That all sounds good, but my wife is Catholic and determined to be buried in a church cemetery. I’m Jewish and I really don’t care where I’m buried, except that I do not want to…
Read More »Death & Mourning
Don’t Leave End-of-Life Decisions to Your Children
My son’s wife’s grandfather is dying. He is in his 90’s and his body has given out. He told his granddaughter that he is ready to go and has stopped eating in order to facilitate his exit. As you can imagine, she cries every day. He lives states away and she and my son call…
Read More »Will my religious desires be met when I die?
Participants at the consecration of the Gan Yarok cemetery in Mill Valley in 2010 (Photo/Amanda Pazornik) This Mixed and Matched article was originally published in the J-weekly in July 2017. Another interfaith quandary to share! I am the daughter of an interfaith couple who are uncomfortable with my decision to be a Jewish adult. When…
Read More »Raising a confident child
A wonderful couple I know have five grown children who are interracial and intercultural. The Chinese mom converted before marriage and is now trained as a mohel. The couple raised their children Jewish and Chinese. Yup, they got asked questions like, “Are you adopted?” “Is your mother Jewish?” “How come you’re in a synagogue;…
Read More »Programs in 2016 for Jews by Choice
We are delighted to offer a couple of special programs for Jews by Choice. Anyone is welcome to both of these. You don’t need to be a convert to attend. Everything You Wanted to Know about Conversion to Judaism Join a panel of Jews by choice and Rabbi Delson to learn all about conversion! Have…
Read More »What should you do when a loved one dies?
(Originally appeared July 2015 in Mixed and Matched column of the J-Weekly) Recently a woman wrote to me about her first experience with death and shiva as a Jew. Here’s what she said: I am a recent convert and a single mother. My sister died recently. When I got the news, I was paralyzed…
Read More »