About this episode
A conversation exploring the Jewish view of death, grief, and the afterlife. Drawing from her personal losses and decades of spiritual exploration, Elissa shares her journey, reflections from her work preparing bodies for Jewish burial, and powerful insights on mourning rituals and what they can teach us about what it means to truly live. Elissa Felder is the Coordinator for Core’s Communities of Practice. Elissa started and actively manages Core’s community of practice for women engaged with traditional chevrah kadisha. She is responsible for providing on-going professional development for the community. The knowledge she acquired through her work motivated her to write her book, From One Life to the Next Life: The Sacred Passage of Life After Death. Additionally, she is very active in her local chevrah kadisha and speaks widely on this topic. Elissa is the Founding Director of Core Connects RI, a non-profit organization that aims to deepen women’s connections to one another, to Jewish wisdom, and to Jewish values, as well as to empower each other to find greater meaning, purpose, and possibility in life and to cultivate unity without uniformity. As director she is passionate about providing others with opportunities to grow and become. She runs programming both online and in person. Elissa is passionate about bringing Jews together and celebrating their commonalities rather than their differences. Through all of these experiences, Elissa mentors and encourages others on their journeys. You can purchase Elissa's book here: https://mosaicapress.com/product/from-one-life-to-the-next-life/?srsltid=AfmBOorymKsRPl9qZlNH91dglhkMuoqSkLUd1EdThXJfSxY72ARG1UeJElissa can be reached at elissafelder613@gmail.com To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.com To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Sneak Peek 00:54 - Host’s Intro 03:30 - Welcome Elissa 05:50 - Where Did My Son Go? 07:33 - What Happens After Death? 09:28 - The Soul Separates From Its Body in Stages 10:41 - Purification of the Soul 11:37 - Resurrection of the Dead: A Soul Reunited with Its Body 12:51 - The Deeper Meaning Behind Chevra Kadisha Practices 15:09 - Talking to a Soul: Preparing for Life, Not Death 16:15 - Analogies for Resurrection 18:18 - Why Return to the Body If the Soul Experiences Divine Bliss? 21:11 - Why Are We Here? 23:05 - Elevating Each Part of the Body 24:50 - Living with an Awareness of Life's Fragility 26:27 - The Significance of Morning Prayers 27:22 - Grief is Love 28:36 - Communal Presence During Shiva 29:34 - Witnessing Grief 32:12 - The Power of Small Acts of Love 33:18 - Why We Let Mourners Lead 37:00 - The Soul’s Journey After Death 38:50 - Grief as a Companion 39:47 - The Chevra Kedisha’s Love for the Deceased 40:41 - The Rabbi Who Cared for My Father 42:44 - Caring For My Granddaughter 45:04 - Welcoming the Soul 46:13 - Do We Access the Soul at its Grave? 48:38 - It Is About Life 49:16 - Navigating Grief 52:00 - Letting Our Emotions Flow 57:05 - Choosing Love Over Anger After Loss 01:00:12 - Host’s Outro