The Jewish Association for Death Education (JADE) is pleased to announce that the Ben Zakkai Institute has joined JADE.  This partnership enhances JADE’s programming, expands learning opportunities, and enables us to appeal to more diverse audiences as we continue to raise awareness of Jewish end-of-life practices.

JADE Programming

JADE’s monthly webinars are lectures on topics central to Jewish end-of-life practices, rituals, and customs. These lectures focus on one of the 14 Hineni topics or related subjects and include slide decks as handouts. These are introductory sessions to give overviews of what Jews do, with the expectation that the webinar will present a baseline understanding.

In addition to the above more formal learning events, JADE offers a monthly Death Schmooze, exploring all things death. This is a space for everyone to feel welcome, whether you have been volunteering in your community for years or are totally new to Jewish end of life practices.  Each month, JADE opens the schmooze with a central topic and then moves into discussion and exploration.

Last, but maybe most important, is the JADE field staff.  Currently working in five communities, they provide in-person education and resources

Ben Zakkai Institute Programming

The Ben Zakkai Institute provides monthly online opportunities for the Jewish community to explore, discuss, and gain deeper understandings of Jewish source texts, wisdom, cultural variations, and traditions in the field of end-of-life. Course offerings include both ancient and modern texts, engaging with new perspectives and insights, informed by the historic Jewish responses to death in a wide array of contexts. Specific  topics studied change throughout the year but are generally explored through a series of one or two sessions over consecutive weeks, with each month featuring a guest presenter.

Ben Zakkai invites diverse, outstanding scholars, rabbis, and teachers to facilitate discussions, share their perspectives, and lead intimate learning sessions in which both teachers and students participate. Presenters are selected for their teaching ability, their passionate approach to subject matter, and their enthusiasm about the topic. No previous experience or level of learning is necessary to participate in discussions. Both students and presenters have expressed appreciation for these “up close” opportunity to engage in lively discussions.

Drawing on their years of experience in Kavod v’Nichum, the former Gamliel Institute staff established the Ben Zakkai Institute and began programming in August of 2023.

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