In her recently published book — Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes — author Jessica Fein writes with eloquence, passion and universality about grief and joy … and the search for balance through the illness of her daughter, Dalia, and the everlasting aftermath of her loss, and life. In conversation with […]

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When his son Nadav died at the age of five, James G. Robinson was propelled into a journey of grief and a search for meaning that over time deepened his identity as a parent, his relationship to Jewish thought and tradition, and his view of the world he walks through every day. In conversation with […]

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A grounded perspective on mortality and loss can be powerfully life affirming — among the themes in Sprinkle Glitter on My Grave, a 2016 book by popular author, actor, humorist and consummate New Yorker, Jill Kargman. Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry speaks with Jill about how the realities of end-of life shape her lens on […]

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Obituary writing is an art, capturing not only the facts of a life, but also an individual’s singular essence and legacy. So how do we ensure an obituary is well informed and properly nuanced? Should we consider writing our own … even as a form of self-reflection and examination? Andrew Silow-Carroll — editor-at-large at New […]

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When Plaza Jewish Community Chapel opened in 2001, it immediately began to elevate conversations on end-of-life issues and practices, and to create partnerships strengthening the fabric of Jewish life and observance in New York City and beyond. In this special anniversary episode, Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry speaks with B’nai Jeshurun Senior Rabbi and Rosh […]

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As a young boy during WWII, Sami Steigmann spent three years in a Nazi labor camp at Mogilev-Podolsky, in the Transnistria region of Ukraine. Now living in New York, he devotes himself to telling his story and sharing his practice of resilience — and embrace of life. Marking Yom HaShoah — Holocaust Remembrance Day — […]

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For those raised outside of the Jewish faith, learning about Jewish traditions — including those surrounding end-of-life — is key to nourishing interfaith relationships, and also to advancing the conversion process. Fifteen years ago, Rabbi Lisa Rubin joined Central Synagogue in New York City and established the Center for Exploring Judaism, a structured space for […]

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Plaza Jewish Community Chapel opened in 2021 with a nonprofit model elevating dignity, affordability, and education on end-of-life issues, and over a quarter century has become rooted in New York City and beyond as a dynamic mainstay of Jewish communal life and service. In this special episode — as Plaza moves towards its 25th anniversary […]

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