Jewish traditions teach that we, the living, do not know what happens on “the other side” of death. However, we do know a great deal about “this side” of death. We can prepare for it by letting go of attachments and grievances, and respond to it by learning to support the bereaved.

So I explain, using information and anecdote, in this podcast (27 min) of my talk Turning Responsibly Towards Death: A Jewish Pastoral Perspective, SFU Institute for the Humanities conference “The End of Life: Dying, Suicide, Death,” Nov 3, 2016. Please click on the highlighted title above to listen.

Images: (1) Silhouette of two faces looking towards death in the future and death in the past. (2) My late brother Freddie holding newborn me.

Podcast prepared by the Vancouver Island Mental Health Society and People First Radio. Translation of vidui (confession and forgiveness meditation) by Rabbi David Zaslow.