Dr. Ron Wolfson
A Step-by-Step Guide for Honoring the Dead
and Empowering the Living
When someone dies, there are so many
questions—from what to do in the moment of grief, to
dealing with the practical details of the funeral, to spiritual
concerns about the meaning of life and death. This
indispensable guide to Jewish mourning and comfort provides
traditional and modern insights into every aspect of loss. In a
new, easy-to-use format, this classic resource is full of wise
advice to help you cope with death and comfort others when they
are bereaved.
Dr. Ron Wolfson takes you step by step
through the mourning process, including the specifics of
funeral preparations, preparing the home and family to sit shiva, and visiting
the grave. Special sections deal with helping young children
grieve, mourning the death of an infant or child, and more.
Wolfson captures the poignant stories of
people in all stages of grieving—children, spouses,
parents, rabbis, friends, non-Jews—and provides new
strategies for reinvigorating and transforming the Jewish ways
we mourn, grieve, remember, and carry on with our lives after
the death of a loved one.
“Captures the best in
Judaism’s approach. It is honest, tender, and wise. A Time to Mourn, a Time to Comfort speaks in many voices, the voices of those who
have endured grief, the voices of rabbis who deal daily with
tragedy, the voices of those who are spiritual searching, and
the voices of those who have found their one path through dark
times.”
—Rabbi
David J. Wolpe, from the
Foreword
“When a loved one dies, an emotional
chaos ensues. As if in a whirlwind, one is buffeted by a bevy
of conflicting emotions including anger, pain, relief, and
guilt. Jewish tradition offers mourners a structure for dealing
with those emotions and a guide through the chaos. It also
offers the community around the mourner a means to reaching out
to comfort those in pain. Ron Wolfson’s A Time to Mourn, a Time to Comfort constitutes a sensitive and perceptive guide to
that tradition. Both those who mourn and those who comfort will
find it a map to accompany them through the whirlwind.
—Deborah
E. Lipstadt, director, Rabbi
Donald A. Tam Institute for Jewish Studies at Emory University
About the Art of Jewish Living Series
The Art of Jewish Living, a project of the
Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs and the University of
Judaism, is a series of books designed for adults and families
seeking to enter into the center of Jewish life. Each features
real Jewish families reflecting on their experiences with
Jewish practice, along with detailed information and
instruction on the performance and meaning of Jewish
celebration.
