Expanding Understanding of Jewish Rituals at the End of Life
Recorded: March 2024
Webinar Moderator:
Kris Kington-Barker | Director of Outreach & Care Provider Programs
Webinar Guest(s):
Sarit Wishnevski | Doula and Executive Director at Kavod v’Nichum
Karina Totah | Doula and Board Member of Shomer Collective
Recorded: March 2024
Our April webinar is open to all annual and tier members as part of membership benefits.
Webinar Moderator:
Kris Kington-Barker | Director of Outreach & Care Provider Programs
Webinar Guest(s):
Sarit Wishnevski | Doula and Executive Director at Kavod v’Nichum
Karina Totah | Doula and Board Member of Shomer Collective
At end-of-life, Judaism encourages hands-on participation and invites people to engage not just with our minds and with prayer, but with our physical presence as well. Rituals allow those of Jewish faith to bring to light their values and relationships so that we may deepen those connections and share their importance. Judaism, like many other religions, is full of rituals that mark time and transition; specifically, it provides a unique framework for the end of life, including the dying process, funeral and burial, and the grief journey. Read more in A Doula’s guide to Jewish Rituals at End of Life.
Sarit Wishnevski and Karina Totah, both INELDA-trained doulas and active leaders in supporting Jewish deathcare organizations, share insights from their two separate, diverse backgrounds, as well as their religious practice at two different levels of observance.
Our webinar guests shared this document of common terms used at end of life by those that practice Jewish traditions. Feel free to print this guide for your use.
INELDA Director of Outreach & Care Provider Programs, Kris Kington-Barker moderates the conversation, guiding our guests and attendees to share an understanding of these rituals and how they are integrated into practice at end-of-life.
Guest Speaker Bios:
A creative and strategic leader, Sarit Wishnevski is dedicated to empowering others to reimagine Jewish rituals that are resonant and relevant in their lives. At Kavod v’Nichum, she is helping to drive a movement transforming how community members show up for one another at the end of life. Sarit trained as an end-of-life doula through INELDA (International End Of Life Doula Association) and produced a podcast and a newsletter called The Be.Side Project, focused on where Judaism intersects with the end of life.
Karina Totah is a strategist whose experience across industries—housing, healthcare and more—has made her particularly boundary-breaking and human-centered. She is known for living and working with intention, and has devoted her career to creating more equitable and vibrant communities, particularly for those most vulnerable.
Currently, she serves as chief of staff to the Chief Medical Officer at Immunocore, a pioneering immunotherapy biotechnology company. Karina is also a board member of Shomer Collective, a Jewish end-of-life organization that empowers people to plan and makes Jewish wisdom accessible in end-of-life matters. She trained with INELDA in 2018 and serves as a doula in palliative care departments and hospices, and as a singer with Threshold Choir. Karina is also a member of her synagogue’s Chevra Kadisha.
The recording of this webinar is available to Tier 2 & 3 members as part of their INELDA membership benefits. Tier 1 and Non-members who purchased access to the webinar may also view the recording.
To view a recording of this webinar [CLICK HERE]
Tier 2 & 3 members can view this webinar at no cost as part of the INELDA membership benefits.
Tier 1 & Non-members can purchase access to attend this webinar for $15 and will receive a link to view the recording following the event.
