Death & Mourning

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…

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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;…

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How to Make a Shiva Call

This is an excellent article from Kveller on how to make a difficult shiva call. Frankly, all shiva calls are difficult. You are going to the home of a mourner and sitting with their terrible grief. How to Make a Tragic Shiva Call offers eleven rules that can apply to any shiva call. As the…

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Death and Shiva (on video)

Sometimes it’s easier to learn about something by watching a video. That can be especially true when the thing you are learning about is a sensitive topic. G-dcast has created a number of videos addressing elements of Jewish life. This one, on Jewish mourning practices, covers the basic issues that you will encounter in regard…

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