Resources

End-of-Life Medical Reflections

Books:

Byock, Ira. Dying Well: Peace and Possibilities at the End of Life. NY: Riverside Press, 1998.

Gawanda, Atul. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters at the End. NY: Metropolitan Books, 2017.

Nuland, Sherwin. How We Die: Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter.NY: Vintage, 1995.

Warraich, Haider. Modern Death: How Medicine Changed the End of Life. NY: St. Martin’s Press, 2018.

Zitter, Jessica Nutik. Extreme Measures: Finding a Better Path to the End of Life.NY: Penguin Random House, 2017.

Websites:

https://jessicazitter.com/patient-family-resources/

http://atulgawande.com/

https://irabyock.org/

Having End-of-Life Conversations

Books:

Hebb, Michael. Let’s Talk about Death Over Dinner: An Invitation and Guide to Life’s Most Important

Conversation. NY: Da Capo Press, 2018.

Volandes, Angelo. The Conversation: A Revolutionary Plan for End of Life Care. NY: Bloomsbury, 2015.

Websites:

https://deathoverdinner.org/

https://deathcafe.com/

Wise Aging

Books:

Address, Richard. Seekers of Meaning: Baby Boomers, Judaism and the Pursuit of Healthy Aging.NY: URJ Press, 2011.

Agronin, Marc, M.D. The End of Old Age: Living a Longer, More Purposeful Life.NY: Da Capo Press, 2018.

Brown, Erica. Happier Endings: A Meditation on Life and Death.NY: Simon & Schuster, 2014.

Cowan, Rachel and Linda Thal. Wise Aging: Living with Joy, Resilience, & Spirit.NJ: Behrman House, 2015.

Friedman, Dayle. Jewish Wisdom for Growing Older: Finding Your Grit and Grace Beyond Midlife.VT: Jewish Lights, 2015.

Websites:

https://aginginplace.com/

https://growingolder.net/

https://jewishjournal.com/culture/lifestyle/50_plus/222266/wise-aging-starts-staying-engaged-sometimes-takes-village/

https://jewishsacredaging.com/

http://www.jewishspirituality.org/our-programs/resources-for-your-community/wise-aging/

Testimonials at End of Life: Memoirs of Meaning

Books:

Barnes, Julian. Nothing to Be Frightened Of.NY: Vintage, 2009.

Davidson, Sara. The December Project: An Extraordinary Rabbi and a Skeptical Seeker Confront Life’s Greatest

Mystery. NY: HarperOne, 2015.

Kalanithi, Paul. When Breath Becomes Air.NY: Random House, 2016.

Wiesel, Elie. Open Heart. NY: Schocken, 2015.

Jewish Ethical-Decision-Making at End-of-Life

Books:

Address, Richard (ed.). A Time to Prepare (revised edition): A Practical Guide for Individuals and Families in

Determining a Jewish Approach to Making Personal Arrangement, Establishing the Limits of Medical

Care and Embracing Rituals at End of Life.NY: UAHC Press. 2002.

Dorff, Elliot. Matters of Life and Death: A Jewish Approach to Modern Medical Ethics.PA: JPS, 2003.

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Center of Jewish Ethics. Behoref Hayamim: In the Winter of Life: A Values-

Based Jewish Ethical Guide for Decision Making at the End of Life. PA: Reconstructionist Press, 2002.

Weiner, Jason. Jewish Guide to Practical Medical Decision-Making.NY: Urim Publications, 2017.

Websites:

https://www.momentmag.com/ask-the-rabbis-27/

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/end-of-life-issues-a-jewish-perspective/

https://www.aish.com/ci/sam/4-Core-Jewish-Values-at-the-End-of-Life.html

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5531361_Jewish_law_and_end-of-life_decision_making_A_case_report

http://www.shemayisrael.com/mishmeresguf/B'Or_HaTorah_Schiavo_Article-2008.pdf

Tahara and Chevre Kaddisha

Books:

Berman, Rochel. Dignity Beyond Death: The Jewish Preparation for Burial. Jerusalem: Urim Press, 2005.

Epstein, Rabbi Mosha. Tahara Manual of Practices: Halacha Decisions of Hagaon Harav Moshe Feinstein, zt’l. NJ: Feldheim, 2005.

Goodman, Rabbi Arnold M. A Plain Pine Box: A Return to Simple Jewish Funerals and Eternal Traditions. (Augmented Edition). NY: KTAV, 2003.

Kelman, Rabbi Stuart. Chesed Shel Emet: The Truest Act of Kindness, Guidelines for Exploring the Meaning of Tahara. CA: EKS Publishing, 2013.

Websites:

https://www.jewish-funerals.org/index.php?q=handbook-hevra-kadisha-members

http://www.kosherfuneral.com/taharaguide.html

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/tahara/

https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/1546/preparing-the-dead

Jewish Views of the Afterlife

Books:

Rafael, Simcha Paull. Jewish Views of the Afterlife (Third edition). MD: Rowman Littlefield, 2019.

Large, complete study of the Jewish concepts of the afterlife through Jewish history

Sonsino, Rifat and Daniel B. Syme. What Happens After I Die? Jewish Views of Life After Death.NY: URJ Press,1990.

Jewish explanations of the afterlife written from different denominational perspectives

Spitz, Elie Kaplan.Does the Soul Survive: A Jewish Journey to Belief in Afterlife, Past Lives & Living with Purpose (2nd Ed.). VT: Jewish Lights, 2015.

A candid and sharp-eyed account of Rabbi Spitz’s experiences and examination of what others have shared with him

Books:

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2970/jewish/Do-Jews-Believe-in-an-Afterlife.htm

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/282508/jewish/What-Happens-After-Death.htm

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/life-after-death

https://reformjudaism.org/judaism-what-believed-happen-someone-after-they-die

http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/afterlife