Zayin Adar: Can We Really Turn Mourning Into Dancing?

On Zayin Adar, we come together as members and supporters of the Hevra Kadisha to acknowledge the sacred service of caring for the dead. This year, we gather as our country nears 1 million deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, and the world nears 6 million deaths. How might Jewish wisdom about grief help us weather what some are calling a secondary pandemic of grief? Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel taught, “Life’s ultimate meaning remains obscure unless it is reflected upon in the face of death.” Members of the Hevra Kadisha are dedicated to facing death regularly. Bring your wisdom and experience to an interactive text study and conversation focused on the ways we can gain greater meaning in our lives from our proximity to death.

Rabbi Melanie Levav is the founding Executive Director of the Shomer Collective, powered by Natan, a new initiative designed to empower individuals, families, and institutions to improve end-of-life experiences, inspired by Jewish wisdom. Melanie was ordained as a rabbi by the Jewish Theological Seminary as a Wexner Graduate Fellow, is a board certified chaplain, a licensed social worker, and proud to be a lifelong New Yorker.