Unveiling Death: Eternity in About 24 Minutes
As a rabbi, I try to provide spiritual and emotional comfort to the dying and bereaved. Preparing eulogies is a meaningful aspect of my work; I am telling the story of a life. On Unveiling Death, I talk to fellow clergy, end-of-life professionals, obituary writers, those who’ve had near death experiences, and others. It’s a deep dive into the Great Hereafter, the Final Frontier, the Ultimate Trip. It’s Unveiling Death: Eternity in About 24 Minutes. Every other Monday Host: Jeffrey Weill Creative Director and Editor: Sammy Weill Music: The Night Owls of Chicago
Episodes
I offered the following sermon during services for Shavuot, the holiday that celebrates the giving of Torah at Mt Sinai. Shavuot is one of four times during the year that Jews recite Yizkor, prayers of remembrance for loved ones who have died. This sermon considers the complicated lives of ancient Israel's second and third kings, David and Solomon. Both sinned, both struggled, both were close to God.
<...Emily B. Miller is a licensed funeral director, embalmer and founder of Colorado’s first environmental cemetery, the Colorado Burial Preserve. Emily was working as a funeral home manager when she perceived a need for a different type of cemetery, one with a native habitat mission. Emily also advocates for a greener funeral industry through education and outreach. As a board member of the Green Burial Co...
Elline Eliasoff is a gerontologist and clinical exercise physiologist with decades of experience in aging care. Elline began her career in the Veterans Administration and then launched Elite Rehabilitation and Care Management, her own sub-acute care practice. She has a masters in gerontology and a certificate in patient advocacy. Elline is a certified care manager. Check out her website: ellineeliasoff....
Elissa Felder’s book, “From One Life to the Next Life: The Sacred Passage After Death,” published by Mosaica Press, draws upon her experience in Chevra Kaddisha, sacred Jewish burial societies, and upon her experience as a mother whose baby son, Sam, of blessed memory, died at four and a half months. Elissa is a board member of JADE, the Jewish Association for Death Education. She is also Founder and Di...
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.
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.
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 H...
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’...
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 ab...
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.
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 rem...
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.
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.
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, Illinoi...
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 conne...
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...
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.
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