What does it mean to die Jewishly? While modern society pushes us away from confronting death as an integral part of life, Dr. Michael Slater argues that Jewish tradition encourages us to adopt ways of dealing with death that change us and our communities for the better; whether it be the Hevra Kadisha, Holy Group, that is in charge of funeral preparation by washing and dressing the deceased, or the mitzvah of comforting the bereaved. Ultimately, asserts Dr. Slater, the way in which Judaism deals with death informs Jewish life.
Michael Slater M.D. is President of the Board of Kavod v'Nichum (Honor and Comfort,www.Jewish-funerals.org), a non-profit educational and advocacy organization on end of life issues. He is a founding member of the Progressive Chevra Kadisha in the Chicago Area. He and his family have been active members of non-denominational, peer-led chavurot over the last 30 years. As an emergency medicine physician, he practices at Mt. Sinai and Holy Cross Hospitals/Sinai Health System in Chicago. He is on the clinical faculty at Rosalind Franklin University/Chicago Medical School and the University of Chicago.
