In this episode, Arielle shares how she came to be an End of Life Consultant, talks about her work through a Jewish lens, and explores how end of life conversations don’t usually include young people and why we need to change that.
Arielle and I met a few years ago when we bonded over our love for Jewish ritual. When I began the Be.Side Project several friends reached out and asked “have you talked to Arielle yet?!”. We happily reconnected over our shared understanding that talking about death should be both accessible and intergenerational. I hope you enjoy hearing Arielle’s passion and wisdom as she shares her story and vision for how we could be approaching the end of life.
About Arielle Friedtanzer:
Arielle Friedtanzer received an individualized Master’s degree at NYU in May 2018, concentrating in Judaic Studies, Bioethics, and Social Work, and has completed 800 clinical hours with the goal of becoming an interfaith chaplain. She traveled the country with her husband for almost 20 months before taking a pause due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, at which point she turned the in-person workshops and presentations she had been doing on the road to help communities engage in conversations about advanced care planning, death, and grief into virtual events, including her weekly Facebook Live series, Millennials and Mortality Mondays. She now lives in Los Angeles and works as a Client Care Lead for Lighten, helping families plan virtual and in-person memorials and celebrations of life.
Hebrew and Jewish References Explained:
Shiva: Hebrew for “seven” and it is the week-long ritual period of mourning after a burial.
Misheberakh: The Jewish prayer for the sick
Arielle Friedtanzer