A SERIES ON DEATH, GRIEVING AND CARING FOR LOVED ONES

Co-Sponsored by Sinai Memorial Chapel

Questions? Contact rabbirichman@bethsholomsf.org.

Ethical and Legal Wills: When is it the Right Time to Write?
Tuesday, April 16
6:30 ⁠– 8:00 p.m.

Facilitated by Rabbi Dorothy Richman and Kathleen Hunt, Attorney and Counselor at Law

light supper included

What do you want to pass on from your life to those with whom you have shared it? How do you attempt to pass down your values and best advice in a way that will be meaningful? What is it important to consider when writing a legal will and who can help you? 

When is the right time to write both an ethical will and a legal will — and why is the answer, "probably now"?

So many of us are experiencing the challenges of caring for aging parents, planning for aging with our partners and managing grief and logistics when loved ones die.  And yet these are topics we often don't talk about with one another… and can make us feel lost when we suddenly need to deal with them. You are not alone.  Let's talk: join us for a series of interactive adult learning experiences about death and dying that starts with Death Over Dinner in January and will continue with other programs addressing: Rituals and Logistics from Deathbed to Cemetery, Ethical Wills, Caring for Aging Parents, and Difficult Decisions at the End of Life.

PAST EVENTS

It’s in the Details: From Deathbed to Cemetery
Sunday, March 17
4:00 ⁠– 5:30 p.m.

Facilitated by Rabbi Amanda Russell and Liz Orlin, Executive Director of Sinai Memorial Chapel

What are the logistics involved in responding to a death? What supports are available? What can be planned in advance and what can't? Nearly 70% of all funeral arrangements are made by widowed spouses or children at the height of emotional stress and grief after their loss. . Here is an opportunity to think through the details of death in a non-stressful way and prepare ourselves for the one thing we all know will happen to us and our loved ones. Rabbi Russell and Liz Orlin, Executive Director of Sinai Memorial Chapel, will facilitate a meaningful conversation and answer your questions.

Aging with Dignity: What Questions Should I Be Asking?
Sunday, February 25
4:00 ⁠– 5:30 p.m.

Facilitated by Rabbi Dorothy Richman and Mary Hulme, LCSW, Geriatric Social Worker and Founder of Moonstone Geriatrics 

How do I plan to stay home and stay safe as I age? Or how do I move from my home to an adult community — what are the options? How do I hire caregivers and what are the costs and challenges? What are the levels of care available, how do I access them, and who pays for it? What happens if Dementia is involved? What is it possible to plan for now and what can wait?

Are you wondering about your own aging and planning for the future? Are you concerned about your parents and their planning and care? Our featured speaker, Mary Hulme, LCSW, is a geriatric social worker.  Mary assists older adults, family members, friends and loved ones with addressing immediate needs while also thinking about future needs and options. Her mantra is “Let’s not wait for the crisis!”

This session is for both older adults and adult children or friends who are trying to navigate how best to care for the aging folks in their life. It is free and open to the public. Please feel welcome to invite friends from outside the Beth Sholom community you think could benefit from this conversation.

After some introductions and Jewish framing, most of our time together will be in active questions and answers. If there are questions that you are thinking about that you would like us to know in preparing for this session, please submit them here.

Death Over Dinner
Sunday, January 21, 2024
6:30 ⁠– 8:30 p.m.

Death over Dinner is a platform to engage participants in discussion around the way we die — end of life decisions, death rituals, what happens after life, the most important conversations Americans are not having.  Together, we will enjoy dinner while participating in a facilitated conversation about Jewish death and dying. Led by David Katznelson, Executive Director of Reboot Network, this is a CBS members-only event (21 years +).

$36 Per Person
Registration includes a nice dinner and an evening of meaningful conversation and connection

$72 Per Person (Sponsorship)
One seat for the price of two to support and defray the costs of this series

Childcare Available for $18 Per Child
We are glad to provide childcare for children 5-years and older. Think “pizza and a movie.”