Rabbi Melanie Levav
Rabbi Melanie Levav is the executive director of the Shomer Collective, which applies Jewish wisdom to how we live as we approach the end of life. Previously, she served as director of PJ Library in New York, a Jewish family literacy and engagement program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. She was ordained as a rabbi by the Jewish Theological Seminary as a Wexner Graduate Fellow and is board certified as a chaplain through Neshama: The National Association of Jewish Chaplains.
Articles by Rabbi Melanie Levav
Ask the Expert: Prayers for the Dying
Are there Jewish prayers to recite for those who are no longer expecting healing?
Parashat Vayeilech: Legacies That Live On
After learning he will soon die, Moses expresses fear that his values will not survive him.
Ki Tavo: Instructions to Those Who Outlive Us
Moses's example shows how we can continue to learn from those who have passed on.
Parashat Matot: Honoring Wishes
Sometimes our promises to the dying cannot be fulfilled.
Parashat Re’eh: Returning to Routine
Twice in the final verses of Parashat Re’eh, we are commanded to rejoice. And in both cases, the “we’” is ...
Parashat Devarim: Anticipatory Grief
This week’s Torah portion, Devarim, is always read on the Shabbat prior to Tisha B’Av, the fast day commemorating the ...
Parashat Chukat-Balak: The Importance of Place
Talking about the death and burial of those who came before us can also make it a bit easier to talk about the mortality of those close to us.
Parashat Beha’alotcha: Postponed Obligations
In Parashat Beha’alotcha, God tells Moses to instruct the Israelites to offer the Passover sacrifice on the 14th day of ...
Fringed With Faith
The tzitzit (fringes) and tallit (prayer shawl) serve as physical reminders of our connections with previous generations and of the faith that sustained them and us.