{"title":"Death and Mourning","description":"\u003cp\u003eBooks offering Jewish perspectives, guidance, and support for experiences of grief, loss, bereavement, and mourning. Explore resources for those coping with the death of a loved one, navigating widowhood, supporting someone through loss, or seeking comfort and understanding during times of mourning.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"surviving-widowhood","title":"Surviving Widowhood","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt is estimated that nearly 80 percent of married women can expect to be widowed. In this courageous, moving and unique book, a clinical psychologist explores her personal experience of widowhood, describing reactions of family including grandchildren, the importance of tradition and ritual, maintaining memories and reintegrating into life. A resourceful and special book and an intensely human story.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Esther Goshen-Gottstein","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67706591052096,"sku":"287-7","price":64.0,"currency_code":"ILS","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0873\/3340\/4992\/files\/i38666.61796.jpg?v=1791181235"},{"product_id":"in-the-grip-of-bereavement","title":"In the Grip of Bereavement","description":"\u003cp\u003eOur daughter Danit passed away on 17 Mar-Cheshvan 5761 (November 15, 2000). Danit was born on 14 Kislev 5731 (December 12, 1970) and did not live to see her thirtieth birthday. A shy child, modest and smart, she grew and flourished in our home on the moshav, and in our travels for work and various positions in Israel and abroad. When she was about twelve years old, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent surgery to have it removed. As a young girl she learned to live under constant medical attention and daily medications, which she followed through on responsibly by herself. She did not give in, and because of her strong will and perseverance, she completed her high school education, fulfilled her national obligation by serving in Sherut Leumi (the national service program that serves as an alternative to army service), and studied towards a bachelor’s degree in education, diligently and successfully. And we, her family, accompanied her fearfully and lovingly, saw her develop in life and were thankful for her successes. At the conclusion of her studies she entered the field of education as an elementary school teacher. Quietly and diligently, acting as a role model and dedicating herself to each child, she succeeded in earning the trust of her students and their parents. Her greatest success was in teaching small groups of students, where each one merited her personal attention. Her dedicated work bore fruit, both in the school curriculum and with the supervisors who spoke well of her. Our home and extended family were her fortress. She revealed the secrets of her heart and allowed all of us to know her inner character, her thoughts, her attitude towards her surroundings near and far. The entire family afforded her respect and praise for her personality, altruistic character, and especially her ability to cope with life. The sudden illness that overtook her defeated her in a very short time. Her memory will never leave our hearts. She continues and will always continue to live in us forever.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chaim Licht","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67706592854336,"sku":"446-3","price":66.0,"currency_code":"ILS","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0873\/3340\/4992\/files\/i46964.37922.jpg?v=1791181340"},{"product_id":"a-caring-presence-bringing-the-gift-of-hope-comfort-and","title":"A Caring Presence","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhat should you say? What should you do? Rabbi Simeon Schreiber, Senior Staff Chaplain at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, has translated his many years of experience into highly effective techniques for visiting hospital patients, the homebound elderly, and bereaved families. These principles, which he teaches in diverse seminars, are now available to you in this friendly, down-to-earth manual. A Caring Presence contains surprising suggestions on what to say and what not to say; what to do and what not to do. Throughout the book, Rabbi Schreiber helps you develop the sensitivity and expertise to be an adept caring presence when others need you most. Reviews: Comariative Review by Rabbi Jack Riemer : MISHKAN R’FUAH: WHERE HEALING RESIDES, edited by Rabbi Eric Weiss, CCAR Press, N.Y. N.Y.107 pages. A CARING PRESENCE by Rabbi Simeon Schreiber, Gefen Publishing Co. Jerusalem and New York, l09 pages. I have adopted a new resolution this year, which is that since I am a Conservative rabbi, I will try to read as many books by Orthodox and Reform teachers as I can. The reason for this new resolution is that if I only read books that I already agree with, I will only strengthen my own position, but will not learn from those with whom I disagree, but if I reach out and learn from other those who have different perspectives, I will broaden my own understanding. So here are two books, one Reform and one Orthodox, from which I have learned. Both deal with how to help those that are ill, which is an area where no group has the monopoly on the truth. Mishkan R’fuah is a collection of prayers to be said by those who are ill, or by those who care for them. There are the traditional Jewish prayers—like the misheberach and the vidui-unfortunately only in English. There is the Debbie Friedman Misheberach, which has become standard in all the liberal services. But what is most interesting about this collection are the prayers for situations that we seldom think about. There are prayers to be said before entering surgery, or for beginning chemotherapy, for awaiting a transplant, or for entering hospice, and for a family to recite when stopping all further treatment. I doubt if many booklets of prayers for the sick have thought to include prayers for these moments before. But what is even more surprising is that this booklet includes prayers to be said when receiving a diagnosis of dementia, for entering a long-term care facility, for those who are suffering from addiction to drugs or who are struggling with an eating disorder, for healing from mental illness, and even for entering prison. Whether you find each of these prayers equally strengthening and helpful may be a matter of your own taste or mood, but the idea of reckoning with these difficult moments in life, and trying to give a spiritual voice to those who are struggling with these moments is surely praiseworthy. A Caring Presence is a guide on how to make a sick call and on how to make a shivah call. It is written by Rabbi Simeon Schreiber , who is the Senior Staff Chaplain at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami. Rabbi Schreiber begins by abusing us of the idea that ‘bickur cholim’ means visiting the sick. To think of it that way is to perpetuate the idea that we are the generous ones and they are the helpless ones. A wiser way to look upon bickur cholim, he says, is as being of service to one's fellow human being. The distinction is that if we look at the sick call this way, it is not a favor that we do for the ill out of our goodness ,but an obligation that we do out of our status as commanded human beings. Bickur, Rabbi Shreiber points out, as Rabbi Norman Lamm did before him, is related to the word boker, which means morning. To visit the sick is to bring a measure of light into the life of someone who is living in darkness and depression. Many of us are uncomfortable when we have to make a sick call. I know that I have stood outside a patient's room more than once, mustering up my courage before I went in. And so, Rabbi Schreiber book will be a useful guide for all those who are concerned with how to make a sick call that will be helpful, and not hurtful. He guides us through the steps of a beneficial sick call slowly and carefully. He teaches us that our role is not to cure, and not to distract the patient, not to take away their illness, or to compare their lot with that of others whom we know, not to entertain them and not to instruct them. Our task is to listen, to empathize, and to help the person express his or her yearnings, his or her fears, and his or her prayers. Our task is not curing; our task is caring. Like a skilled teacher, Rabbi Schreiber gives the reader some case studies to study. He describes some sample sick calls, and then analyses with us what the visitor did right and what the visitor did wrong. For example, he suggests that one should always call before coming to visit, or at the very least, ask if this is a good time to visit before entering the patient's room. This may seem like a small thing, but he explains that doing this does much to preserve the patient’s dignity and sense of control over his or her life. When you are in the hospital, other people decide what you eat and when you eat, when you sleep, what you wear and what you drink, when you are treated, and when you are taken to therapy or treatments. When or whether you receive visitors is at least one thing that the patient should be allowed to feel a measure of control over. The book contains some very good practical advice on how to make a visit to a person who is homebound, and on how to make a shivah call as well. It offers such sensible suggestions as acknowledging and showing respect to the caretaker, sitting close to the person you are visiting instead of towering over them, and taking your direction from them as to whether they want to speak and whether they want to listen, and what it is that they want to speak about. A Reform Jew can learn much from this guide to how to make a sick call that has been written by an Orthodox rabbi, and an Orthodox Jew can learn much about how to pray with a person in distress from this collection of prayers that have been gathered by a Reform rabbi. And that is the way it should be! Rabbi Jack Riemer is the editor of Jewish Reflections On Death and The World of the High Holy Days, and the co editor of So That Your Values Live On: A treasury of Jewish Ethical Wils. This thoughtful work is full of great wisdom, and will be very useful to both the novice and seasoned professional alike. I was moved and touched by the author’s real compassion and sensitivity in dealing with a whole range of potentially complex situations. You will never perform these mitzvot the same way again after you read this book. Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter Senior Scholar, Center for the Jewish Future, Yeshiva University Well worth reading.… The author captures the flavor and spirit of bikur cholim.… I highly recommend this well-thought-out description of how to be most effective in visiting people in various situations of need. Rabbi Solomon Schiff Executive Vice President Emeritus, Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami; Director of Chaplaincy Emeritus, Greater Miami Jewish Federation Rabbi Schreiber teaches us how to bring spiritual healing to those who hurt so deeply.… I recommend A Caring Presence as a must-read for all of us who inevitably must face pain in our lives. Rabbi Joseph Potasnik Executive Vice President, New York Board of Rabbis A wake-up call that gives meaning and substance to the mitzvah of bikur cholim.… Rabbi Dr. Reuven P. Bulka Author; rabbi of Congregation Machzikei Hadas, Ottawa\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Simeon Schrieber","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67706599539008,"sku":"9789652295576","price":55.0,"currency_code":"ILS","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0873\/3340\/4992\/files\/i94949.46336.jpg?v=1791181769"},{"product_id":"rabbi-shmuley-boteach-the-slager-edition-boxed-set","title":"Rabbi Shmuley Boteach The Slager Edition Boxed Set","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis three volume set is a veritable encyclopedia of Jewish Thought based on three main pillars, eschatology, mysticism and philosophy. Volume 1 The Wolf Shall Lie with the Lamb A belief in and hope for the coming of the Messiah has always been central to Judaism. In The Wolf Shall Lie with the Lamb: The Messiah in Hasidic Thought, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach offers the first book-length exposition in English of this important pillar of Jewish belief. In addition, this volume includes a clear analysis of the Jewish belief in the resurrection of the dead. The Wolf Shall Lie with the Lamb clarifies a grossly misunderstood Jewish belief in terms that can be grasped by both layperson and scholar. This book will not only shed significant light on a powerful idea, but will also introduce readers to the interpretations of a highly effective modern teacher, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. Volume 2 Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge The thoughts in this book are extracts of nearly forty years of talks and commentary by the Lubavitcher Rebbe on Jewish mysticism and esoteric thought, and it is through the erudition and fluency of Rabbi Yoel Kahn that they have been anthologized into a series of essays in which each idea naturally flows from the ideas preceding it. Because of their profundity, the ideas presented in this book have remained largely inaccessible to the uninitiated scholars of hasidic thought. Shmuley Boteach has adapted these ideas to make them accessible to a contemporary audience that may have little knowledge of Jewish mysticism. Wrestling with the Divine How can one maintain unwavering faith in a benevolent God in light of events such as the Holocaust and the ever-present threat of incurable disease? Judaism sees death, illness, and suffering as aberrations in creation that were brought about through the sin of Adam in Eden. Volume 3 Wrestling with the Divine In this book Boteach claims that man’s mission was never to make peace with suffering and death, but to abolish them from the face of the earth by joining God as a junior partner in creation. By using such physical tools as studying medicine, giving charity, and being there in times of need, and by using such spiritual means as protesting to God against injustice and demanding that He correct the flaws of the world, we help usher in an era when only goodness will prevail over the earth. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, whom the Washington Post and Newsweek call “the most famous rabbi in America,” stands among the world's most recognizable and passionate voices on values, spirituality, and relationships. He is the international bestselling author of over thirty books, including Kosher Sex, and his columns, TV, and radio appearances are regular staples in media all over the world. He is the founder of The World Values Network, promoting universal values in American culture and media. The winner of the London Preacher of the Year competition, the national Fatherhood Award, and with thirty years of experience in relationship counseling, “America's rabbi” lives in New Jersey with his wife and nine children. Rabbi Shmuley wrote Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge, The Wolf Shall Lie with the Lamb, and Wrestling with the Divine while serving as the rabbi and director of the Chabad House of Oxford University and the Oxford L’Chaim Society from 1988 to 1999. The 2018 reprint includes the same text as the original publications.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Shmuley Boteach","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67706605568320,"sku":"g959 \/ 959-8","price":258.0,"currency_code":"ILS","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0873\/3340\/4992\/files\/i231241.16552.jpg?v=1791182172"},{"product_id":"good-mourning","title":"Good Mourning","description":"\u003cp\u003eJUST AFTER MIDNIGHT, shell-shocked and numb, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach got the news that his father had died. There were so many details to attend to – and as soon as the funeral was over, his obligation to say Kaddish began. Three times a day, every day, for eleven months, he would need to assemble a quorum of ten to say the Jewish mourning prayer for his father… while much of the world was in lockdown. With sensitivity, wisdom, humility, and even a liberal dose of his trademark humor, Rabbi Shmuley takes us through his year of mourning and shares the lessons learned. This moving book touches on universal themes about grief, love, and how to move on with life after the deepest loss As the world emerges from the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic, Rabbi Shmuley helps to lift us…with a meditation on grief that is poignant, moving, and deeply personal. Sir Clive Gillinson Executive and Artistic Director, Carnegie Hall\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Shmuley Boteach","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67706614350144,"sku":"7801-12","price":61.0,"currency_code":"ILS","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0873\/3340\/4992\/files\/i314441.62626.jpg?v=1791182460"}],"url":"https:\/\/israelbooks.com\/collections\/death-and-mourning.oembed","provider":"Gefen Publishing","version":"1.0","type":"link"}