Message Franciska to share how a specific episode has impacted YOU. [email protected]     In this episode, Elissa Felder shares her journey from growing up in London with a Jewish background to her life in the U.S., working for a nonprofit organization called CORE. She discusses her personal religious transformation and professional path, as well as the profound experiences following the loss of her child.   Elissa delves into the cultural and religious aspects of Jewish mourning traditions, her involvement with the Chevra Kadisha, and how these experiences inspired her to write a book. She also offers insights into understanding grief, the concept of the soul in Jewish teachings, and the broader communal support for those who have lost loved ones. Alyssa's story is one of growth, learning, and the strength found within community and tradition.   00:00 Introduction and Welcome 01:08 Elissa's Background and Journey 02:00 Life in America and Professional Work 03:08 Personal Story and Book Inspiration 03:52 The Journey of Loss and Learning 06:11 Understanding and Sharing Grief 09:42 The Role of Chevra Kadisha 13:16 Jewish Burial Traditions and Beliefs 18:12 Reflections on Life and Death 30:05 The Power of Silence in Mourning 30:47 Personal Reflections on Shiva 33:04 Jewish Mourning Traditions and Practices 34:12 The Journey of the Soul 37:34 Losing a Child: A Deep Personal Loss 42:24 The Role of Chevra Kadisha 53:06 The Hierarchy of Loss and Grieving 58:01 Finding Meaning and Moving Forward   About Our Guest: Elissa is the Coordinator of Core’s Communities of Practice (CoP). In this role she facilitates connections, conversations and development of all the Core communities, provides essential support to CoP leaders and oversees the seamless execution of events. She plays a key role in enhancing the professional growth and community building efforts within each community. (www.CoreTorah.org) In addition, 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 Jewish values, to empower each other to find greater meaning, purpose and possibility in life and to cultivate unity without uniformity. Elissa was born in London, England and in 1985 married her American husband and they started their married life in Washington, DC. After the death of her first child, Elissa started to explore Judaism in much greater depth. In her quest to understand the loss of her baby she explored Jewish sources in general and more specifically regarding death and the afterlife. She is very active on her local Chevra Kadisha, and she speaks widely on this topic. Elissa started and actively manages Core’s community of practice for women engaged with traditional Chevra Kadisha. To date it is truly an international community of hundreds of women from all over the US and Canada, the UK, France, Sweden, Holland, France, Italy, Israel, Chile, Panama, Mexico, South Africa and even Australia. The mission of the community is to share experiences, give encouragement, network and help to develop and support each other.  Elissa is responsible for providing on-going professional development for the community. The knowledge she has acquired motivated her to write a book which is a personal memoir of loss and grief with the Jewish teachings about life, death and the afterlife woven into the story. The book, “From One Life to the Next Life; The Sacred Passage After Death,” is due to be released at the beginning of the summer with Mosaica Press. Through all of these experiences Elissa mentors and encourages others on their journeys Buy The Book: https://www.amazon.com/One-Life-Next-sacred-passage/dp/1961602474 www.Elissafelder.com  https://www.facebook.com/mummy.felder   Check out: www.JewishCoffeeHouse.com for more Jewish Podcasts on our network.