TODAY’S CHALLENGE

Most Jews are not educated about Jewish death practices. For a multitude of reasons, many Jews are not familiar with the profound beauty and richness of Jewish rituals and the comfort they can bring to family members at a most traumatic time. Even some professionals may not have the tools needed to be fully knowledgeable and may not be able to communicate information, explanations, and insight needed for a topic so infused with emotion. This results in families not being aware, not being informed, not fully  understanding, not resonating, or even outright rejecting Jewish traditions that can bring comfort and can begin the road to healing.

WHAT IS JADE’S APPROACH?

JADE works with the entire Jewish community, affiliated and unaffiliated, large cities and small towns, to provide education and information directly to the ultimate consumer and to those who provide services to them. JADE seeks to identify, and provide resources, to provide information in a way that is personal, sensitive, and meaningful, incorporating traditional Jewish practices in contemporary contexts.

JADE offers spiritual and educational resources to help people understand the rites, rituals, and processes surrounding death. We aim to fill a major void by providing a centralized resource for all the different elements of death and to help death become a mainstream conversation. JADE also provides ongoing education and training for individuals and other organizations that deal with end-of-life issues and bereavement.

Ultimately, JADE’s services aim to comfort families and help them make informed choices during the difficult time of losing a loved one.

We accomplish these things through the following approaches:

• We approach death and dying through a Jewish lens that affirms life, gratitude, and connection. By reclaiming Jewish wisdom around mortality, we deepen joy and meaning in living.
• We highlight the depth and humanity of Jewish tradition — showing that compassion, dignity, and communal care are central Jewish values, even (and especially) at life’s end.
• We meet individuals and families wherever they fall on the Jewish spectrum, offering accessible, judgment-free ways to engage with Jewish tradition around death, grief, and memory.
• We invite people to explore Jewish meaning in their own way — with openness, curiosity, and respect for diverse beliefs and practices.
• We help transform isolation into community by normalizing conversations about death and loss — strengthening connection and mutual care.
• We create opportunities for people to remember, share stories, and transmit values — turning memory into a living part of Jewish continuity.