What’s one thing we’re all good at? How about not talking — or even thinking — about end-of-life issues. Stephanie Garry is Executive Vice President at Plaza Jewish Community Chapel in NYC and she spends lots of time talking about them. So once a month — here at Exit Strategy — Stephanie and her guests are elevating, normalizing and demystifying end-of-life issues from religious, cultural, societal and other perspectives … with a touch of the serious here, and the creative and whimsical there. Something in that unexpected mix will speak to you, perhaps for the first time. Join us.
Episodes
Mourning, A Roadmap
Through beautifully curated poetry, ritual, music and textual wisdom, Rabbi Lisa D. Grant, PhD and Cantor Lisa B. Segal offer us a guided roadmap through the first year of loss in The Year of Mourning: A Jewish Journey …published in June with an accompanying app that deepens engagement and meaningfullness. Rabbi Grant, Director of the […]... LISTEN NOW9/11: Finding Meaning Through Magical Thinking
In the days after 9/11, Micki Pagano noticed a cloud above the World Trade Center site, and it made her wonder that maybe it wasn’t a cloud at all, but the collective souls of those who lost their lives that day. The image inspired her 2022 book, The Road To Beyond — a tale told through the […]... LISTEN NOWLeaning In to Loss, and Life
In her widely acclaimed debut book — Heartwood, The Art of Living with the End in Mind — author Barbara Becker tells stories of loss and leads readers into an enlightened perspective on death … and consequentially, of life. Among her many journeys, Barbara worked for years in the compassionate care sector and at age […]... LISTEN NOWThe Grief Puzzle
Grief is generated from many types of loss … takes a variety of forms … and manifests in myriad ways. But as individuals and a society, we rarely talk about it. As National Grief Awareness Day approaches on Aug. 30th, Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry welcomes Rivka Nissel, LCSW, Director of Jewish Community Services at […]... LISTEN NOWConfronting Grief With the Stories We Tell
When he discovered a trove of images taken by his father, a well-known photographer who died in 2000 from AIDS-related illnesses, Zander Masser embarked on an unexpected journey that led him to finally understand and reveal his unarticulated and repressed grief. The narrative photography book he produced, Unburying My Father, reflects not only loss, but […]... LISTEN NOWCan Death be Funny? A Conversation with Nick Kroll
Comedy can soften the short and long term sting of death and grief … and can be a salve as we process, adapt and seek some sense and relief during one of life’s most profound challenges. Nick Kroll is one of today’s most sought-after comedians, creators, writers, producers and actors in film and television, and […]... LISTEN NOWLiving, and Dying …with Pride
It’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month …and we’re talking about how respecting and honoring the sexual and gender identities of LGBTQ+ individuals is as important after death, as it is in life. Dubbs Weinblatt is a genderqueer trans Jew who writes, teaches and advocates for a more trans-affirming and just world for all LGBTQ+ people, and has […]... LISTEN NOWAging Solo, Challenges and Opportunities: Claire Solomon Nisen and Wendl Kornfeld
An estimated one-third of adults age 60+ live alone, and as solo agers they may lack a greater family support structure as they face inevitable challenges — from quality of life to end-of-life decision making. Claire Solomon Nisen, LMSW, is the manager of DOROT’s Lasting Impressions program in NYC, and Wendl Kornfeld created the Community […]... LISTEN NOWOrgan Donation as a Mitzvah: Rabbi Neil Zuckerman of Park Avenue Synagogue, NYC
In recognition of “National Donate Life Month,” Rabbi Neil Zuckerman — Associate Rabbi at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York — joins Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry to talk about the place of organ donation in end-of-life conversations … and within the framework of Jewish thought and practice. More Information: National Donate Life Month https://donatelife.net/how-you-can-help/national-observances-celebrations/ndlm/ […]... LISTEN NOW“What Matters”: Rabbi Nicole Auerbach and Howard Sharfstein of Central Synagogue
“What Matters” is a collaborative initiative by New York Jewish institutions enabling individuals to have conversations about — and document — end-of-life preferences … and engage Jewish values along the way. Rabbi Nicole Auerbach, Dir. of Congregational Engagement at Central Synagogue in New York, and Howard Sharfstein, Honorary President at Central, describe the program and […]... LISTEN NOWSubscribe on your preferred channel:
