What I learned about life from preparing the dead
As a convert, I joined a chevra kadisha. It taught me that Jewish rituals aren’t only about death — they’re about how we live, remember, and honor one another
Death
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BINTEL BRIEF I prepare bodies as part of a synagogue’s burial society, but I’m an anti-Zionist. Is that OK?
A woman wonders if the fact that the dead she washes and prepares would consent to be touched by someone with her politics
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Culture How should you tell someone that a loved one died? Judaism offers an answer.
Judaism teaches us that in the hardest moments, presence and clear communication can bring comfort. Here’s what we can learn from Jewish tradition when bearing bad news.
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Film & TV In a Stephen King story, a Jewish meditation on how to live a rewarding life
In ‘Life of Chuck,' one man chooses his own destiny despite being haunted by death
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Fast Forward 38% of American Jews believe in life after death, study finds
About half of American Jews, and nearly two-thirds of Israeli Jews, said animals can have spirits
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Culture Should Jews use artificial intelligence to bring back the dead?
It will soon be possible to have AI-generated replicas of deceased relatives
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Culture The mystical reason why Jews put rocks on top of gravestones
When someone dies, their legacy lives on in those who remember them
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Culture A rabbi shares what he’s learned speaking with people in their final moments of life
Exploring the final moments before death is a reminder of what really matters in life
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