Facilitated by Sharon Ziff, RN

with guest speakers Reb Judith Goleman and Ari Hilton

Do you ever wonder what happens after you die? Rabbis, philosophers, sages, and artists have puzzled over these ideas for thousands of years. So, do you ever wonder what happens after you die? What did you learn from your family, your friends, or your teachers? What did you learn from your religious practices?

And, what do you believe now? In this session we will explore Jewish views of Life after Death.

Sharon writes “I remember when I was 7 or 8, my pet bird died. I found him lying on the floor of the cage, lifeless, and I cried. I cried because he was 'without Life.' I could not play with him anymore. I did not wonder where he went. His life was just over. That was what I had learned from those around me."

We read in the Bible that from dust we came and to dust we return. Of course, we read a lot of other information about death in the Bible as well. It’s not a surprise that there are many ideas about what happens after we die. And therefore, many, many questions including:

* When did people start to believe that they “went” somewhere?
* And where was that somewhere?
* Who came up with that idea?
* How did we get to the idea that we actually come back?
* What part of us comes back?

Please join us for this exploration.

Sharon Ziff, RN retired after 12 years working at Memorial Hospice. As a Hospice Nurse, she was drawn to learn more about how we, as a society and as individuals, have treated aging, illness and death. She has dedicated herself to breaking the taboo of speaking about death and to helping her community gain the knowledge to best prepare themselves and their families for a good final chapter and a death with dignity.

Rabbinic Pastor Judith Goleman, MFT, is a chaplain and also has a private practice in individual and couple counseling. As  teenager she fell in love with the joyous tales of the Hasidic Rabbis of the 18th century, who saw God as the deep nature of everything in Creation (including us in our true potential).  As an adult she encountered this spirit in the Jewish Renewal movement, and was lucky to study for her ordination as a Rabbinic Pastor in this spiritual approach. It also informs her psychotherapy practice.

Ari Hilton is a speaker, writer, and Biblical scholar. He creates and teaches religious education curricula (Jewish, Christian, and Interfaith traditions), teaches about LGBTQIQA+ issues in undergraduate settings, and serves as an Interfaith lay chaplain. Ari holds a Master's of Theology and Ethics from Bangor Theological Seminary. He has extensive training in Christian history, theology, and practice which offers a unique perspective in Jewish learning. Being an openly transgender/Queer person contributes immensely to an expansive and radically inclusive teaching and understanding of the Torah. Though he lives in Maine with his wife Amanda and 2 teenaged sons, he has recently become a member of Congregation Ner Shalom and is deeply grateful for the love and support of this community.