Paradigms of Parting with Rabbi Richard Hirsh and Rabbi Linda Holtzman-2019

Paradigms of Parting: Jewish Stories from the End of Life

Jewish sacred literature includes remarkable stories about the deaths of spiritual leaders.As we read, share, and discuss some of these stories, we will see a range of expectations, encounters, and experiences. A common goal throughout the sessions will be to extract contemporary insights about how Jewish sources and resources about mortality can help us to reflect on the quality as well as the quantity of years in a life. Session I will feature end of life stories of biblical figures. Session II will focus on stories about rabbis of the Talmudic era.Session III will look at stories from the Hasidic tradition.