At 11:03 AM EST (8:03 PST) on June 9th, 2014, this blog debuted. At that time, I wrote
What is this blog?
It is a blog about death and dying – and the Jewish ways thereof.
It is about the Jewish rituals, forms, customs, behavioral norms (and not-so-norms), about Jewish ideas and thoughts on and around this topic. It is about how Jews approach death and the dead, how they treat them, what they do, and how they do it.
It is about transforming a physical task into a holy act; bringing sanctity and compassion to souls who are in need of it.
It is really about caring for the dead and comforting the living; the sacred, loving work of helping to bring closure and peace at the end of life to those who have died, and comfort to those who care about them.
“Expired & Inspired” is
The topic of death and dying has long been taboo. Because death comes to all of us, and touches most of us in life, it needs to be open for discussion – though not in a morbid fashion: there are aspects of this part of life that are beautiful and touching.
The death of a loved one is sad, but the sacred, holy work in which we engage can be spiritual, loving, transformative, and life-affirming. Talking about it should not be ‘taboo’ or avoided. There is even room, at times, for humor, as well as awe, love, and honor, as we explore this universal part of life.
Expired & Inspired is intended to educate, reveal, and share stories in an interesting and compelling way about the people involved, and the Jewish process, rituals, and activities that include “>Chevrah Kadisha – the Holy Society that provides care for the deceased, and comfort for mourners and those bereaved.
Accompany us as we draw back the curtain a bit, and let you see our work, the results of it, and how it affects those of us who do it, and others. Join us as we offer you an aspect, a viewpoint, a glimpse of the transformative power of the work we do.
I believed in those words then, and I still do. As Editor of Expired And Inspired I have tried to stay true to what I told you. I have tried to offer a variety of information, viewpoints, attitudes, and opinions. In doing so, I have been fortunate in that others have generously and graciously written some wonderful articles for the blog, many of which I could not imagine finding anywhere else. As of today, there have been 144 postings in the two and a half years we have been going. Some might point out that 144 is also known as a gross, and perhaps in the mind of some, that is an appropriate term for our topic.
Either way, I have had the honor and pleasure to hear from multiple of our readers over this span of time, and in most instances they were very appreciative of what we have offered.
At that same time, there have been some who pointed out how we had not done as well as we might, or how I had made decisions or choices as editor they did not agree with or like.
In all sincerity, I have deeply appreciated the comments of both praise and criticism. Each has helped me refine what I am doing, and sharpened my ability to make Expired and Inspired better, more relevant, and more informative.
I am therefore asking that you please continue to comment, sending both praise and criticism, and helping me to improve this blog.
Even better, I am asking anyone who has anything they want to share that touches on our topic to write it up and submit it to me for the blog. I can’t promise that everything will be printed, but there are a LOT of open weeks ahead in the years to come. 😉 A very sincere ‘thank you’ to all who have contributed, commented, and read.
Kavod v'Nichum's GAMLIEL INSTITUTE COURSES
Please Tell Anyone Who May Be Interested!
Winter 2016:
NOT TOO LATE – THERE IS STILL TIME – REGISTRATION IS OPEN: THE COURSE BEGINS SOON!
Gamliel Institute Course 1, Chevrah Kadisha History, Origins, & Evolution (HOE) as planned will be offered over twelve weeks on Tuesday evenings. The schedule is from January 3rd, 2017 to March 21st, 2017, online.
ORIENTATION
For those who register, there will be an orientation session on the Monday evening prior to the first class. It is intended for those unfamiliar with the online course platform used, all who have not taken a Gamliel Institute course recently, and those who have not used an online webinar/class presentation tool in past.
CLASSES
Class times will all be 5-6:30 pm PST/6-7:30 pm MST/7-8:30 CST/8-9:30 pm EST. [If you are in any other time zone, please determine the appropriate time, given local time and any Time Zone adjustments that may be necessary.]
Please note: the class meetings will be online, and will take place on Tuesday evenings (unless a Jewish holiday requires a change of date for a class session).
DESCRIPTION
The focus of this course is on the history and development of the modern Chevrah Kadisha, the origins of current practices, and how the practices and organizations have changed to reflect the surrounding culture, conditions, and expectations. The course takes us through the various text sources (biblical, talmudic, rabbinic, and on) to seek the original basis of the Chevrah Kadisha, harking to Prague in the 1600’s, through the importation of the Chevrah Kadisha to America, and all the way to recent days. It is impossible to really understand how we came to the current point without a sense of the history.
SIGN UP NOW TO TAKE THIS COURSE!
Please register, note it on your calendar, and plan to attend the online sessions.
There is no prerequisite for this course; you are welcome to take it with no prior knowledge or experience, though interest in the topic is important.
The registration fee is $500.00 per person, but NOTE that there are registration discounts available for three or more persons from the same organization, and for clergy and students. There are also some scholarship funds available on a ‘need’ basis. Contact us (information below) with any questions.
You can “>jewish-funerals.org/gamreg. A full description of all of the courses is found there.
For more information, visit the “>Kavod v’Nichum website or on the
Please contact us for information or assistance. info@jewish-funerals.org or j.blair@jewish-funerals.org, or call 410-733-3700, or 925-272-8563.
