Rabbanit Bracha Jaffe, the associate rabba at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale—The Bayit (HIR), was part of the fifth graduating class of Yeshivat Maharat. Inspired by changing events in her own life, Rabbanit Bracha created an important lecture series called “Planning for the Future,” which deals with questions and opportunities surrounding the end of life. Rabbanit Bracha knew she was not the only one dealing with these difficulties and wanted to create a program so that others could have the benefit of these important and necessary conversations and resources. Along with Rabbanit Bracha, two women from Metropolitan Jewish Health System (MJHS), Miryam Rabner and Toby Weiss, were involved with this program, as well as Rabbi Haim Jachter of Teaneck’s Shaarei Orah, HIR social worker Taylor Britvan and others.
“Planning for the Future” is a four-part series that covers having the hard conversations, demystifying our health plans, the ethical will and a halachic versus secular will.
“Having Hard Conversations,” the first topic, addressed the discomfort and importance of talking about these topics, why they are important, how to have the conversations and putting them on people’s radars.
“Demystifying Our Health Planning,” which is scheduled for July 6 at 7 p.m., will actually address the terms and topics relevant to the process: ethical will, health care proxy, patient advocacy etc. This session discusses the necessary steps one needs to take, as well as considering what people want and the physical steps necessary to move forward. In addition, people must consider and prepare to draft what they want in their will.
“Ethical Will and Spiritual Autobiography” will help people speak about their lives, what is important to them, and what they want to leave behind for their family. This is the time when participants think about each decade of their life and what they can take away from it, and begin writing their will and learning why it is important.
The fourth and final session will be “Halachic vs. Secular Will,” in which attendees will learn what a Jewish will is, why it is important, what it entails and the differences between a Jewish will and a U.S. legal will.
The end goal of this four-part series is to leave people with resources, books, websites and people to reach out to. In fact, five area synagogues have already signed on with them.
For those who are interested, but unable to attend one or more of the sessions, each is recorded so that people can go back and view the program. The first session was over Zoom, and Rabbanit Bracha mentioned that it was “very successful” with close to 70 attendees.
“In our synagogue, we felt we have a responsibility in the community. We felt we must set a tone and show the importance of emotional and healthy relationship-perspective thinking about the future not just in our community, but around it as well, because anyone can join. This program is a wonderful representation where a synagogue can offer so much more than prayer services, but not take away from prayer services,” said Rabbanit Bracha.
All sessions are held on Zoom, meeting ID: 860 2851 9593, passcode: future. Visit www.thebayit.org/future to find links to the recorded sessions and information on upcoming sessions.
Julianne Katz is a rising senior at BCHA and a summer intern at The Jewish Link.
