Come Memorial Day, we will honor US military personnel who died while serving … and be mindful of our veterans and those among them we’ve lost. Edward Yarmus — a licensed funeral director at Plaza Jewish Community Chapel — is a US Air Force veteran himself. He speaks with Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry about his service and what vets and their families should know about making end-of-life arrangements. More about Edward Yarmus, LFD https://www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org/professional-leadership/ Contact Exit Strategy: exitstrategy@plazajewish.org The post Honoring Those Who Served, at E ..read more

She spends her professional life elevating conversations about death and loss — including as host of this podcast series. But when her own mother — Eileen — died in February, Stephanie Garry was thrust into the journey of mourning and grief herself, gaining new and greater perspective through the lens of her own family. In this special episode of Exit Strategy, Stephanie gives her host microphone to Rabbi Angela Buchdahl of Central Synagogue in New York. Together, they reveal the truisms of Jewish ritual and community, the necessity of self-awareness, and the inevitability of generat ..read more

In January, New England and national radio and podcast personality Jordan Rich went public with his recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease — modeling for us how uncertainty and grief surrounding a medical diagnosis can evolve into a purposeful, expansive and uplifting resilience. Jordan speaks about his journey with Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry as we mark Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and display a red tulip to support all affected and strive for improved treatments and a cure. Jordan hosted “The Jordan Rich Show” on powerhouse WBZ AM in Boston for over 25 years and continues to host add ..read more

On the 23rd anniversary of Plaza Jewish Community Chapel’s 2001 opening, Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry welcomes Rachel Schnoll, CEO of the Jewish Communal Fund — one of Plaza’s founding funders, whose support allowed Plaza to open its doors to serve the Jewish community and to elevate end-of-life conversations and issues. In this wide-ranging talk, Stephanie and Rachel discuss how we can and should build our legacies of philanthropic giving in life and after death, and how JCF — as the largest Jewish donor-advised fund in the country — facilitates the process through a Jewish lens. More a ..read more

New York’s first Reform Chevra Kaddisha (“holy society”) is introducing sacred end-of-life practices to a wider Jewish community, and elevating the mitzvah of caring for our dead. The Reform Chevra Kaddisha was established in 2023, and here its founders discuss its groundbreaking nature and its place and meaning within progressive Jewish communities and families. Speakers: Stephanie Garry of Plaza Jewish Community Chapel; Rabbi Joel Mosbacher of Temple Shaaray Tefila; Alissa Platcow, rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute for Religion; and Rabbi Rachel Timoner of Congreg ..read more

On October 7, Hayim Yeshurun Katsman, 32, was among the over 1,200 people tragically lost in the terrorist massacre in southern Israel. In the days, weeks and months since, Hayim’s mother — Hannah Wacholder Katsman — has journeyed through grief and mourning at once private and public. In this special episode, Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry speaks with Hannah about Hayim’s life and passions, and the overlap of personal and collective loss. “Comfort Among the Mourners,” by Hannah Wacholder Katsman, The Times of Israel, Jan. 2, 2024 https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/comfort-among-the-mourners ..read more

After her 15-year-old son Joshua was tragically struck by a car and died in 2002, Nancy Rothstein discovered a deep inner strength that led her to an affirming view of her life and Joshua’s ever-inspiring and growing presence in it. Nancy is the author of Rising in the Mourning: Ways to Celebrate Life (2022), in which she describes her journey through grief to this elevated place, sharing perspective and teaching us that our relationships with those we’ve lost never end, but can deepen and guide us forward. She speaks with Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry in this episode of universal wisdom ..read more

A loved one develops dementia, and she is there, but she isn’t. Or he is abducted, and may come back, or he might not. And so we experience “ambiguous loss,” a grey, unresolved state that presents unique challenges to our mental and emotional well being … and that must be recognized and respected. In this timely conversation, Dr. Pauline Boss — who established the term in the ‘70s and elevated it to prominence — speaks with Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry about what we should know about ambiguous loss and how we should approach it as individuals, as families, and as communities. More About ..read more

We must all consider advanced age — for ourselves or our loved ones — and have conversations and make decisions leading to the best possible outcomes in later years. Hildy Sheinbaum, of H. Sheinbaum & Associates, is a registered nurse and geriatric nurse care manager who advises individuals and families on issues of care for seniors. In this episode, she speaks with Exit Stategy Host Stephanie Garry about top-line issues including long-term care insurance, the wide spectrum of senior living environments, and how to approach sensitive topics with generosity and compassion. Contact Exit Stra ..read more

An estimated one in four women will suffer loss of a child during pregnancy or infancy, opening a well of grief and sorrow that touches parents, families and their wider circles. As Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is now marked, Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry speaks with Perry-Lynn Moffitt — author of the influential book, A Silent Sorrow — about the immediate and long-term trauma of pregnancy and infant loss, the importance of discussing and acknowledging it, and what we can do to help ourselves and others. A Silent Sorrow (book) https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Sorrow-Perry-Lynn-M ..read more