Throughout the past several years, grief and loss have been an inextricable part of our collective lives. Death Over Dinner: Jewish Edition is an invitation to address the basic human fact that we are all, at some point, going to die, and to do it over the table, a place where we can break bread and create connections.

This event will include an opportunity to discuss essential questions, and consider how to live well in the face of mortality. Over a delicious dinner (because we should also enjoy!), we will have an exploration of accessible Jewish texts to prompt questions and discussions about quality of life, decision making, and communicating wishes with loved ones.

We will be led by Rabbi Melanie Levav, from our partner Shomer Collective, and Naomi Less of Lab/Shul. They believe that talking about death not only better prepares us to approach life’s most challenging moments, but also helps us articulate and affirm who we are and what we ultimately care about. Created by rabbis, theologians, wellness, and palliative care experts, Death Over Dinner: Jewish Edition provides a unique lens through which to build and strengthen our personal beliefs about life and death.

Join The Neighborhood, Shomer Collective, and Lab/Shul for a gathering in a brave, healing space to talk about how we choose to live our lives, recognizing that they are finite. We will have vegetarian food and mock-tails, hosted at St. Lydia’s, a progressive, LGBTQ-affirming dinner church in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, who are working to dispel isolation, reconnect neighbors, and subvert the status quo.

This is designed to be an adult-level intellectual and emotional conversation.