Episodes

On the 23rd anniversary of Plaza Jewish Community Chapel’s 2001 opening, Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry welcomes Rachel Schnoll, CEO of the Jewish Communal Fund — one of Plaza’s founding funders, whose support allowed Plaza to open its doors to serve the Jewish community and to elevate end-of-life conversations and issues. In this wide-ranging talk, Stephanie and Rachel discuss how we can and should build our legacies of philanthropic giving in life and after death, and how JCF — as the larg...

New York’s first Reform Chevra Kaddisha (“holy society”) is introducing sacred end-of-life practices to a wider Jewish community, and elevating the mitzvah of caring for our dead. The Reform Chevra Kaddisha was established in 2023, and here its founders discuss its groundbreaking nature and its place and meaning within progressive Jewish communities and families. Speakers: Stephanie Garry of Plaza Jewish Community Chapel; Rabbi Joel Mosbacher of Temple Shaaray Tefila; Alissa Platcow, rabbinical...

On October 7, Hayim Yeshurun Katsman, 32, was among the over 1,200 people tragically lost in the terrorist massacre in southern Israel. In the days, weeks and months since, Hayim’s mother — Hannah Wacholder Katsman — has journeyed through grief and mourning at once private and public. In this special episode, Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry speaks with Hannah about Hayim’s life and passions, and the overlap of personal and collective loss. “Comfort Among the Mourners,” by Hannah Wacholder Ka...

As we begin 2024, Rabbi Gordon Tucker — Vice Chancellor for Religious Life and Engagement at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America — joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the state and evolving place of end-of-life issues in our communal dialogue, and the imperative to advance it. Rabbi Tucker speaks with Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry. When Bad Things Happen to Good People (book) https://www.amazon.com/When-Things-Happen-Good-People/dp/1400034728/ref=sr_1_1?crid=17G4OJAML9T2...

After her 15-year-old son Joshua was tragically struck by a car and died in 2002, Nancy Rothstein discovered a deep inner strength that led her to an affirming view of her life and Joshua’s ever-inspiring and growing presence in it. Nancy is the author of Rising in the Mourning: Ways to Celebrate Life (2022), in which she describes her journey through grief to this elevated place, sharing perspective and teaching us that our relationships with those we’ve lost never end, but can deepen and guide...

A loved one develops dementia, and she is there, but she isn’t. Or he is abducted, and may come back, or he might not. And so we experience “ambiguous loss,” a grey, unresolved state that presents unique challenges to our mental and emotional well being … and that must be recognized and respected. In this timely conversation, Dr. Pauline Boss — who established the term in the ‘70s and elevated it to prominence — speaks with Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry about what we should know about ambi...

We must all consider advanced age — for ourselves or our loved ones — and have conversations and make decisions leading to the best possible outcomes in later years. Hildy Sheinbaum, of H. Sheinbaum & Associates, is a registered nurse and geriatric nurse care manager who advises individuals and families on issues of care for seniors. In this episode, she speaks with Exit Stategy Host Stephanie Garry about top-line issues including long-term care insurance, the wide spectrum of senior living envi...

An estimated one in four women will suffer loss of a child during pregnancy or infancy, opening a well of grief and sorrow that touches parents, families and their wider circles. As Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is now marked, Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry speaks with Perry-Lynn Moffitt — author of the influential book, A Silent Sorrow — about the immediate and long-term trauma of pregnancy and infant loss, the importance of discussing and acknowledging it, and what we can do to...

As we absorb the atrocities and losses coming out of the unspeakable terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7th, how do we deal with our tremendous individual and community shock, trauma and grief … at this moment and in the long term? Rabbi David Ingber, Senior Director for Jewish Life at 92Y, Founding Rabbi at Romemu and a leader in the New York Jewish community, validates what we are feeling and offers perspective on processing it. He speaks with Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry. About Rab...

For those living with blindness, low vision or print disability, JBI International offers a free library of Jewish interest books and publications, including liturgical texts, enabling connection to the rich literary, cultural and religious life of the Jewish community. As an accompanying episode to host Stephanie Garry’s conversation with Edward Hirsch, Exit Strategy welcomes JBI Executive Director Livia Thompson to speak about JBI’s work and impact in the realm of Jewish community inclusion an...

After his son Gabriel died in 2011 at age 22, acclaimed poet Edward Hirsch navigated grief by writing Gabriel: A Poem, a slim-book-length elegy that The New Yorker called a “masterpiece of sorrow.” Published in 2014, the work is a seminal piece in the literature of grief and a point of connection for others in the aftermath of loss. In a wide-ranging conversation, Edward — president of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation in New York — speaks with Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry abo...

Through beautifully curated poetry, ritual, music and textual wisdom, Rabbi Lisa D. Grant, PhD and Cantor Lisa B. Segal offer us a guided roadmap through the first year of loss in The Year of Mourning: A Jewish Journey …published in June with an accompanying app that deepens engagement and meaningfullness. Rabbi Grant, Director of the New York Rabbinical program at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion … and Cantor Segal, of Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives in Brooklyn … speak wi...

In the days after 9/11, Micki Pagano noticed a cloud above the World Trade Center site, and it made her wonder that maybe it wasn’t a cloud at all, but the collective souls of those who lost their lives that day. The image inspired her 2022 book, The Road To Beyond — a tale told through the lens of magical thinking and heightened reality to help us understand the losses with which we live. Micki speaks with Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry. The Road to Beyond https://www.amazon.com/Road-Beyo...

In her widely acclaimed debut book — Heartwood, The Art of Living with the End in Mind — author Barbara Becker tells stories of loss and leads readers into an enlightened perspective on death … and consequentially, of life. Among her many journeys, Barbara worked for years in the compassionate care sector and at age 50 became an ordained interfaith minister. She speaks with passion and wisdom with Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry. About Barbara Becker and Heartwood https://barbarabecker.com/...

Grief is generated from many types of loss … takes a variety of forms … and manifests in myriad ways. But as individuals and a society, we rarely talk about it. As National Grief Awareness Day approaches on Aug. 30th, Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry welcomes Rivka Nissel, LCSW, Director of Jewish Community Services at The Jewish Board and a recognized expert on loss and grief — to help us understand and navigate it as an ultimate form of self-care. Bereavement Resources https://www.plazajewi...

When he discovered a trove of images taken by his father, a well-known photographer who died in 2000 from AIDS-related illnesses, Zander Masser embarked on an unexpected journey that led him to finally understand and reveal his unarticulated and repressed grief. The narrative photography book he produced, Unburying My Father, reflects not only loss, but the power of creativity to heal. Zander talks about the process — and what we all can learn from it — in conversation with Exit Strategy host St...

Comedy can soften the short and long term sting of death and grief … and can be a salve as we process, adapt and seek some sense and relief during one of life’s most profound challenges. Nick Kroll is one of today’s most sought-after comedians, creators, writers, producers and actors in film and television, and in this episode, he shares his perspective with Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry. More About Nick Kroll: www.nickkroll.com Contact Exit Strategy: exitstrategy@plazajewish.org The po...

It’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month …and we’re talking about how respecting and honoring the sexual and gender identities of LGBTQ+ individuals is as important after death, as it is in life. Dubbs Weinblatt is a genderqueer trans Jew who writes, teaches and advocates for a more trans-affirming and just world for all LGBTQ+ people, and has led diversity, equity and inclusion trainings for organizations including Plaza Jewish Community Chapel. They speak with Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry. More About Du...

An estimated one-third of adults age 60+ live alone, and as solo agers they may lack a greater family support structure as they face inevitable challenges — from quality of life to end-of-life decision making. Claire Solomon Nisen, LMSW, is the manager of DOROT’s Lasting Impressions program in NYC, and Wendl Kornfeld created the Community as Family program at Temple Emanu-El in NYC — both immersed with solo agers and their interests. They speak with Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry. More Info...

In recognition of “National Donate Life Month,” Rabbi Neil Zuckerman — Associate Rabbi at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York — joins Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry to talk about the place of organ donation in end-of-life conversations … and within t...

“What Matters” is a collaborative initiative by New York Jewish institutions enabling individuals to have conversations about — and document — end-of-life preferences … and engage Jewish values along the way. Rabbi Nicole Auerbach, Dir.

All losses are unique and present their own challenges, and the death of a daily companion and life partner carries its own. Cantor Rebecca Garfein, former Senior Cantor at Congregation Rodeph Sholom in NYC, and Rick Elice, a famed and award-winning writer for theatre, have faced the loss of a husband and have been public about their journeys. They share and draw lessons with Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry and Jane Slevin, LMFT. Contact Exit Strategy exitstrategy@plazajewish.org The post De...

From the pandemic to racial tensions, and from political dysfunction to war — the term “global grief” has emerged. What is it, and how can we as individuals and communities process the world around us … and find practical and spiritual grounding?

What do we mean when we say we are looking for “closure” after a loss … and does the term even suggest a desirable outcome? In a widely read column in 2022, Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz — senior rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in NYC — says that to best respect those who we’ve lost, and ourselves, we should rather embrace the notion of consolation. Rabbi Steinmetz is interviewed by Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry. “Consolation, Not Closure,” by Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz https://jewishjournal.co...