Seeing the headline above may be enough for some of you to opt out and skip this page. Please don't! When my editor asked me to write about shiva, given the realities of our post-Oct. 7 lives, expanding from my regular column to a longer piece, my first thought was that I have written a lot about loss in the past 14 months; and my second, will my readers want to think about death if they don't have to? People are often uncomfortable talking about death and loss and are perhaps even a bit superstitious; they fear the unknown and are unsure of just what to say.But since death is inevitable, at some point we will all experience an important loss, whether someone slowly declines or suddenly dies. So, I hope that you will stay with me, because knowledge can greatly reduce anxiety and can be very empowering.SHIVA, THE seven-day period after a death, offers Jewish mourners a structured, dedicated opportunity in which to grieve for the loss of a close loved one – most notably, a parent, child, sibling, or spouse.A deeply healing tradition, one literally “sits shiva” and receives visitors, except on Shabbat, when, according to the Halacha, there are no outward signs of mourning.Other religions suggest at best that one might take a few days off before…
A healthy guide to sitting shiva: Navigating death and loss in these unprecedented times
Since Oct. 7, we have dealt with more loss than we ever thought possible, alongside normal life-cycle events. Clinical psychologist Batya Ludman discusses how we can help in the grieving process.
In brief
Seeing the headline above may be enough for some of you to opt out and skip this page. People are often uncomfortable talking about death and loss and are perhaps even a bit superstitious; they fear the unknown and are unsure of just what to say.But since death is inevitable, at some point we will all experience an important loss, whether someone slowly declines or suddenly dies.
This is the opening of the story, shared with credit to The Jerusalem Post. The rest of the report — with every detail — continues on the publisher’s website.
Continue reading at The Jerusalem Post ↗
