What does the Jewish requirement of k’vod ha-met, honor of the dead, actually require? Is burial a mitzvah? Is cremation prohibited? Is green burial permitted, or is it simply the oldest Jewish practice under a new name? Rising costs, honoring our parents, climate anxiety, soaring cremation rates, and new options like human composting are reshaping how we care for the dead. We’ll test our assumptions against the sources and explore
15
Oct 2026
Helping Children Heal from Trauma with HIBUKI
Meet the people leading the HIBUKI project, the Israeli therapeutic organization helping children heal from severe trauma through an ingenious tool: a stuffed animal that invites a hibuk—Hebrew for “hug.” After earning international recognition for its work with children in Ukraine, Venezuela and other crisis zones, HIBUKI is now addressing the invisible wounds carried by Israeli children since October 7 and the wars that followed. Its network of psychologists also
02
Oct 2026
WHP Pluralism Podcast
Join Sabrina Naim (WHP LA 24 Alum) hosting David Farahi and Scott Wasserman (WHP Colorado 23 Alumni) as they discuss the challenges and importance of pluralism.
Meet the founders of ICAR: Israel’s Collective Action for Resilience to gain an overview of the mental health crisis in Israel and the best techniques and organizations rising to meet those needs. We will hear from Gila Tolub, Executive Director, Co-Founder and former McKinsey Partner, and Lisa Silverman, Co-Founder and Head of Advancement. 60% of Israelis suffer from acute stress and there are currently 400+ organizations operating in resilience and
Come join our network/family of Heritage alumni and current members to gain new insights into Yoma — THE Day — of teshuva and forgiveness. Dr. Erica Brown is the Vice Provost for Values and Leadership at Yeshiva University and the founding director of its Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership. She was both a faculty member and a student of Rabbi Sacks’ at Jews’ College, where Rabbi
10
Sep 2026
All Those Sins? Rethinking Judaism’s Message on the Human Condition with Rabbi Larry Hoffman
From biblical times to today, Jews have approached the High Holy Days in different ways. Most of us were raised to know only one of them: a focus on sin. But High Holy Day piety runs deeper and broader than that. We will survey the multiple Jewish approaches, expand our appreciation of Judaism’s depth, and explore a contemporary Jewish approach to praying our way through the Days of Awe. Come
Access Dr. Rand’s slides HERE Can AI help tackle something as entrenched as Antisemitism? Emerging research suggests that when thoughtfully designed, conversations between humans and AI can do more than inform—they can actually shift beliefs and correct misconceptions. Bots have access, after all, to vast stores of information — and thus the ability to push back on any crazy claims made by conspiracy nuts. Join us for a conversation with
29
Apr 2026
Rituals for “Gen Panini”: Taking Stock of Mid-Life During the Omer with Rabbi Laura Geller
Source Sheet HERE We will use the Omer as a jumping off point to consider why counting matters and what, in our own lives, should be elevated by enumeration. (Hint: People didn’t take care of grown-up kids and nonagenarian parents whizzing across coasts in the Torah, however the tradition has much to offer us as we wander in the deserts of our own lives. We will draw on her most
Source Sheet Here Join Wexner Heritage Members and Alums to prepare for Pesach with Rabbi Yaffa Epstein, Senior Scholar and Educator in Residence, The Jewish Education Project, New York, NY.
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Mar 2026
Haggadah Chidushim: New Questions & Insights for Your Seder THIS YEAR with Rabbi Mishael Zion
Pesach calls us to enter the story: to see ourselves as having gone out from Egypt, and to allow the Seder’s themes to speak to our present moment. Since October 7th we have come to our tables each Spring off balance, many feeling some version of “This year truly is different from other years.” Once again, we face war, and with it a sharpened awareness of both the power and
