Kabbalat Shabbat & Guest Speaker

Jacob’s Deathbed Finale: Family Drama and the End-of-Life Journey

Dvar Torah by Reb Simcha Raphael, Ph.D.

In the Torah portion Vayechi we read the deathbed stories first of Jacob and then Joseph. From their stories we discover the wisdom Torah provides for dealing in our times with end-of-life issues and with complex family dynamics surrounding dying and mourning. From our Torah learning this Shabbat we shall also discover how our Biblical ancestors understood the connection between this world and the world beyond.

Reb Simcha Raphael, Ph.D. is Founding Director of the DA’AT Institute for Death Awareness, Advocacy and Training. He has  served as Adjunct Professor in Religion at LaSalle University and Temple University, and currently works as a psychotherapist and spiritual director in Philadelphia. A member of the Rabbis Without Borders network, he is the author of numerous publications on death and afterlife, including the groundbreaking book Jewish Views of the Afterlife.