In a room of over 100 orthodox women who are trained experts in death and dying, I felt alive and seen.

Each of us, normally unable to share much with our loved ones about the losses we encounter daily, were suddenly long-lost sisters. Hospice and Palliative Care doctors, social workers, and chaplains. End-of-life doulas, funeral directors, and leaders of Jewish organizations supporting the bereaved. And the Chevra Kadisha, the women who perform the dignified ritual of tahara (cleansing, dressing, and praying for the deceased before burial). We serve in both adult and pediatric settings.

We knew each other already through the lives we have had the privilege to escort from this world to the next. Through the brokenness and rebuilding, and through our spiritual commitment to serve Hashem and Am Yisrael in the most painful and liminal of moments.

We were at the two-day inaugural “Core Vital Voices Conference” for orthodox women who support the dying, care for the deceased, and comfort the bereaved. Led by Core Founder and CEO Mrs. Aliza Bulow, MMC and Director of Core Communities of Practice Elissa Felder, RN, MMC, Core creates professional communities of practice for orthodox women to support each other and collaborate. This was the first international convening of Orthodox female practitioners across the full end-of-life continuum. The conference was rooted in Torah values and focused on unifying, shaping, and supporting us as caregivers.

Over the course of the conference, multiple panels addressed our hypothetical patient, “Miriam”. We discussed our care for her and her family from the time of diagnosis and treatment through palliative care, hospice, funeral preparations with the Chevra Kadisha, burial and shiva, and concluding with a focus on bereavement and complex grief.

To say this conference gave me vitality does not do it justice. Why? To borrow the words of author and podcaster, Mrs. Miriam Ribiat: “We are people who spend our lives caring for neshamahs. Helping bring aliyah to those who passed on. And helping the living survive grief, pain, and heartbreak down here. Maybe that’s why those two days felt so deeply nourishing to the soul.”

And, being human ourselves, we also came with our own personal stories of death, dying, and grief.

Less than twenty-four hours later, I sat in a room with over 740 Jewish women of all denominations who were hanging on every word that Rachel Goldberg-Polin spoke. We were at the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey’s Women’s Spring Luncheon. This room was full of women who have spent the last two plus years gathering– most often at hostage rallies and vigils— with heartbreak and hope. A diverse group united in our investment in the future, vitality, and safety of the Jewish people and the Jewish State.

Every time she speaks, Rachel Goldberg-Polin is both the mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin z’’l, and of the Jewish people. Rachel Imeinu, our biblical mother Rachel, is known in our tradition to weep for God’s children, petitioning God not to forget us but rather to save and embrace us. Rachel Imeinu is not comforted herself until this redemption comes. She is pained and broken along with us (Yirmiyahu 31:14-16).

I feel my breath catch. Rachel Goldberg-Polin raised a question that also came up at the Core Vital Voices conference. How does a mourner answer the question, “How are you?”

At the conference, there was a nuanced discussion. Should that ever be asked? Is it callous, awkward, and harmful, or does it express the human need to show care and concern. Should we instead say something like, “I’m thinking of you” or “How are you doing today”– acknowleding that grief is a wave, constantly changing each day, and even moment?

I am a chaplain, and in our training this is not only a discussion, but the introduction to a foundational principle in spiritual care for all faiths. Chaplains are trained to hear the hardest questions and to function counter to the human instinct, which is to fix. “How are you?” is often coming from a good place. From the person wanting to help, offer relief, and make it better. To lift one sixtieth of the suffering (as our tradition teaches visiting the sick can). But the truth is, in life’s most broken of moments, chaplains (and humans) cannot fix. Fixing is not only not possible, but it can be harmful, silencing a soul crying out to be held, halting natural grief that is part of the process of finding comfort and resilience. Instead, chaplains are called to be present. We hold, we witness, we support others in accessing their spiritual resources, and we accompany. We honor the grief, loss, and love by seeing and hearing them when it is unbearable.

This is not limited to chaplains. The Jewish tradition teaches that we do not ask “How are you?” to a mourner. We do not greet with “sheilat shalom”, the normal way of greeting, because we know the answer. Their world is shattered, altered forever. They are living the waves of grief. So rather than speaking first (which would be more socially comfortable), the Jewish law requires the visitor at a shiva home to wait for the mourner to speak. Prioritizing listening to pain over our instinct to fix.

Back at the Core Vital Voices Conference, Mrs. Malkie Klaristenfeld, Founder and Director of Knafayim and Director of Volunteers for Chai Lifeline’s Crisis Teams, spoke about Moshe being told in the book of Shemot to remove his shoes, as he was on holy ground at the burning bush (Shemot 3:5). Why? Mrs. Klaristenfeld explained that shoes protect and prevent discomfort. So it seems Hashem was aligning kedusha (holiness) with vulnerability. From this, she offered, “What if kedusha is not primarily comfortable, but perhaps destabilizing?” I would posit that every single woman at that conference would use the word “holy” to describe end-of-life care. Not naively, but rather with the nuance of Mrs. Klaristenfeld’s wisdom.

At the JFNNJ gathering, Rachel Goldberg-Polin spoke to this with the raw clarity only she can convey. “It’s very strange to me that somebody would say ‘How are you?’ while I have a knife sticking out of my heart. And yet they don’t see it. And I can’t be mad or upset with people who don’t see it. It’s like for someone who is born blind, trying to explain blue to them. How do you explain blue to the blind? It’s very complicated. And I think part of my [new] book is me desperately wanting you to see my blue. I want you to see my pain.”

This is the experience of so many of us on the worst days of our lives and their aftermath. Wanting someone to be with us in our pain, without the onus being on us to be seen.

Mrs. Klaristenfeld taught, “If breaking is part of our reality, then the defining question of life is not what can we do to avoid it, but what happens after?”

Less than twenty-four hours later, I heard Rachel Goldberg-Polin respond as though in chevrusa, in her reflection on grief: “I realized, this sensation that I am experiencing is the love that has continued growing. Because love does not die. And I didn’t know that…Love is stronger than death. And love is stronger than time. And I didn’t know…Grief is a gorgeous price that we pay for the privilege of having loved someone so deeply and endlessly. And so grief is a badge of love.”

This is what we do after.

Over 100 Orthodox Jewish women who walk with the dying and the bereaved. Over 740 Jewish women of all denominations listening to and honoring the grief of one mother. Love that continues to grow, living beyond death.

“So says the Lord: A voice is heard on high, lamentation, bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children for they are not. So says the Lord: Refrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for there is reward for your work, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. And there is hope for your future, says the Lord, and the children shall return to their own border.” (Yermiyahu 31:14-16).

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Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn, BCC is the Director of Spiritual Care Studies at Gratz College, a chaplain at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York, and the rabbanit of Congregation Netivot Shalom in Teaneck, NJ.

In a sold-out event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization) hosted its annual Mother’s Day Luncheon. The Los Angeles chapter of WIZO has evolved over the years, bringing together both longtime members and a growing number of younger women, many of whom were introduced to the organization through their mothers. Among them was Dianna Mannheim Sternberg, who presented her mother, Kathy Mannheim, with the Distinguished Service Award. Sternberg became visibly emotional as she spoke about her mother’s influence on her life and her deep connection to WIZO’s mission. Mannheim, who was equally moved, received a standing ovation from the audience.

The event also included a special recognition from Deborah Harris, WIZO California co-chair, who honored Lya Zisman on her 100th birthday, paying tribute to her and her family’s longstanding dedication to WIZO. Beverly Hills Councilmember Sharon Nazarian also spoke.

A lot has changed in WIZO since it was founded in 1920, especially since Oct. 7, 2023. Before the war, WIZO was primarily known for its social welfare programs, including daycare centers, youth programs and services for women and families in need. But in the past two and a half years, the organization has expanded its role to focus as well on wartime emergency support, assisting evacuated families, reservists and their spouses, wounded soldiers and children affected by the conflict. WIZO has also mobilized volunteers, opened emergency childcare programs and provided emotional and practical support to families struggling with the realities of war.

WIZO USA Co-President Ruthy Benoliel spoke about the unseen burden carried by the families of reservists, emphasizing that while soldiers are on the front lines, their wives are often left to hold everything together at home. They have to juggle taking care of the kids, working and staying strong for their husbands, which isn’t always easy.

She shared the story of Nitzan, a woman whose life was upended when her husband was called up for military duty. “She had what felt like a perfect life — a husband and a child. Her husband promised her, ‘Everything will go back to normal when I come back.” But reality proved far more difficult. After the birth of her second daughter, while her husband was away at war, he returned home after serving for more than 300 days – a changed man.

“She became depressed, lost her job, was sleep-deprived and at one point she looked at me and said, ‘The only thing I wanted to do was jump out the window,’” Benoliel said. “She was in a very dark place, and WIZO gave her tools, support and resources. WIZO showed her light when everything around her felt like darkness.”

Today, Benoliel said, Nitzan is a stronger woman and became, in her words, “the rock her family can lean on.”

Benoliel, who traveled to the event from her home in Miami, also recalled her recent visit in Israel where she landed in Ben Gurion Airport, which was almost completely empty, as very few flights are coming in or going out. “As I was landing, I saw American planes and Israeli planes side by side,” she said. “We should be proud to be Americans because we are allies of Israel.”

The event, “Truth in Focus: Israel and the Media,” also featured remarks from Rachel Bachar, Director of Community Engagement at the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles, and Laura Stein, WIZO California’s Legal Chair.  The keynote speaker was award-winning journalist Jacki Karsh, who launched a journalism fellowship in 2024 aimed at training and supporting journalists to improve coverage of Israel and related issues.

Before Oct. 7, Karsh said, almost no one in her “work world” knew she was Jewish. “My Jewish identity was very real and very deep,” she said, “rooted in family, Jewish education, community and philanthropy, but I didn’t cover Jews, Israel or antisemitism in any professional capacity.”

That changed after Oct. 7. It was then she said that those two worlds collided, and she officially became what she calls “a Jewish journalist.”

Karsh described the days that followed as a rupture inside journalism itself. She noticed what was happening inside newsrooms and how decisions were made regarding the coverage of what’s happening between Israel and Gaza. This deeply troubled her. “I saw inaccuracy, self-proclaimed experts and, in some cases, outright terrorist propaganda being repeated, all moving so fast that the truth couldn’t keep up.”

She said she focused her work on exposing how editorial decisions were shaping global understanding of Israel and unpacking how headlines and broader media framing influenced public perception of events on the ground.

Karsh also worked closely with hostage families, describing them as ordinary people suddenly thrust into unimaginable and rapidly unfolding circumstances, where every hour felt critical and overwhelming. She spoke about how they were often placed in media interviews and public settings while still processing deep trauma, navigating intense fear, and worrying constantly about the safety of their loved ones.

She emphasized that her role was to support them in telling their stories, while ensuring their voices were heard clearly and with dignity. Above all, she said she wanted audiences to understand the emotional reality they were living through — their fear, their isolation, and the human cost behind the headlines.

For the past two-plus years, Karsh has traveled across the country speaking about media bias and “how the media is pushing a certain agenda.” For decades, she said, “Israel has been portrayed through a very specific narrative — as an occupier and colonialist,” she said. “This didn’t just begin on Oct. 7.”

Through her journalism fellowship, Karsh now aims to help reshape and strengthen how such coverage is reported and understood.

Guests departed with a gift in hand and a shared sense of purpose, feeling that their participation was contributing to WIZO’s vital work supporting women, children, and families across Israel.

Long active in Jewish advocacy and pro-Israel politics, the Democratic strategist and former journalist says combating antisemitism will be central to his campaign for California’s 24th State Senate District.

Brian Goldsmith was not an elected official when antisemitism bill AB 715 came up for a vote in the California Legislature. He was a private citizen, but lobbied anyway — reaching out personally to undecided legislators and advocating for protections for Jewish students on campus.

Now, in a bid for California’s 24th District State Senate seat currently held by Democrat Ben Allen, Goldsmith is seeking a title to underscore his fight against anti-Jewish discrimination.

Long before the violence of Oct. 7, 2023 touched every corner of the Jewish consciousness, Brian Goldsmith had already decided that antisemitism inside the Democratic Party — and beyond — was an issue worth the political risk. He became the first senior adviser to Democratic Majority for Israel PAC, helping elect pro-Israel politicians to Congress and winning more than 80% of races.

Goldsmith spent his career as a journalist, entrepreneur and Harvard and Stanford Law graduate learning how to turn complexity into action, but his Jewish values remain the throughline.

“I have been focused on protecting Israel and taking on the battle against antisemitism for much of my life. I am fortunate to have been raised in a strong Jewish family that is deeply engaged in this cause,” Goldsmith said.

Goldsmith was raised in a family deeply involved in Jewish philanthropy. His maternal grandfather, Jerry Mack, served as chairman of the Israel Bonds Campaign, founded Temple Beth Sholom in Las Vegas, and received the Israel Prime Minister’s Medal in 1973. He also attended the Camp David Accords signing ceremony as a guest of President Carter.

His paternal grandparents, Bram and Elaine Goldsmith, were lead contributors to the Jewish Federation’s Goldsmith Center and supporters of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Those roots in Jewish advocacy are why, for Brian Goldsmith, running for State Senate is not a career pivot, but a continuation of a generational pursuit.

“Representation is about who is present when decisions are made. Brian is stepping forward with clarity, discipline, and a lifetime of preparation,” Jewish journalist and philanthropist Jacki Karsh said.

The endorsements following Goldsmith’s Senate announcement reflect support beyond standard political alignment. Along with Democratic figures including Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and Pete Buttigieg, the California Legislative Jewish Caucus endorsed him. So did Julie Platt, former chair of the Jewish Federations of North America.

State Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), who authored AB 715, noted Goldsmith’s record of Jewish activism.

“Even as a private citizen, he jumped in to lobby members to help us pass landmark antisemitism legislation … I am grateful for his advice and wisdom and look forward to working with him after he wins,” Gabriel said.

While he is a critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Goldsmith remains unwavering in his support for the State of Israel — the state his grandparents supported in its infancy.

“I cannot imagine a world without Israel and will never abandon our commitment to Israel’s security,” he said. “I have fought against any effort to single out Israel for unique condemnation or to apply a different standard to the world’s only Jewish state.”

He is drawing support from across the political spectrum.

“While our politics may sometimes differ, I know he would be a strong ally for our community in the legislature. He is passionate about tackling hate and division,” Jewish entrepreneur Michael Broukhim said.

Brian Goldsmith, his wife Claire, and their two children live in California’s 24th Senate District, which includes Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Sherman Oaks.

The district has experienced a rise in antisemitic incidents since Oct. 7, but Goldsmith projects confidence in his Judaism and a sense of resolve.

“Antisemitism is not a policy disagreement,” he said. “It would be unacceptable against any group — any group, that is, except, sometimes, the Jewish community. And that is a double standard we have to fight and defeat.”

Goldsmith intends to join the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, a body of lawmakers focused on the needs of the state’s Jewish community.

“I’d aim to be a leader and a go-to voice, especially on combating antisemitism and hate in all forms,” Goldsmith said. “I say every day, to every group, that antisemitism — and the broader epidemic of hate and division — is one of the most significant challenges we face …”

He also believes in supporting Jewish nonprofits, noting their broader role in public life.

“They are a beacon of tolerance and acceptance, they deserve security and protection against hate and harassment, and they play a critical role delivering public services beyond the Jewish community,” he said.

The California Legislature lacks voices who understand that defending the Jewish community is not a partisan act, but a moral one.

“We need to take on forces that foment division and antisemitism and hold them to a higher standard — even if Washington won’t,” he said. “When hate rears its ugly head against one ethnicity, it hurts us all, and we must work to stand united.”