Educational Media Reviews Online

From Life to Life: Death and Mourning in the Jewish Tradition/Jewish Death and Mourning is a compilation of two video productions which were released in previous years. Due to the dated look and mediocre production values of the video, it cannot be recommended for library purchase. Though the content is interesting, the video should be updated for contemporary audiences. Perhaps synagogue libraries which don’t have more recent information on this topic may find the DVD useful, even for its archival value. These videos feature the Orthodox Jewish tradition, and less religious Jews may not practice all these rituals. Both productions could have been improved by titling the persons featured and providing on-screen glossaries of the Hebrew terms used.

The first segment of this DVD, From Life to Life: Death and Mourning in the Jewish Tradition, is 30 minutes. One of the rabbis featured in this video says that Jewish religion teaches that “death is not merely an exit, but an entrance to a higher form of existence.” Though Jewish teachings and rituals are thoughtfully showcased in different segments, the overall amateurish and uneven quality may turn some people off. (Perhaps one should not say this in the YouTube era). An opening introduction would have been useful. It begins awkwardly with a Rabbi meeting in his study with a young man, who is supposedly dealing with a death of a parent. The Rabbi lectures about the Jewish concept of death and the afterlife, but does not make eye contact with the bereaved. He speaks in a very halting tone, perhaps because he is not comfortable in front of the camera. In the next segment, a man and woman vividly and delicately describe the preparation of the body for burial— the audio and video is good here, but awkwardly edited. There is also discussion about the selection of a coffin—Jews believe in having a simple coffin to avoid ostentatious displays. In the cemetery segment, another young man questions the rabbi about the purpose of burial and tombstones, and why Jews don’t get cremated. The rabbi discusses the role of Jews in linking themselves to their ancestors. Jewish tradition does not accept cremation or crypts.

The second 19-minute video, Jewish Death and Mourning features Rabbi Maurice Lamm, in his study, lecturing on Jewish teachings. He speaks calmly and thoughtfully about the difficulty of accepting death, and gives practical tips for dealing with the grieving process and comforting the bereaved. He stresses the natural process of dying and the sanctity of Jewish burial traditions whose “sacred society” volunteers prepare the deceased. He covers some of the same information as the previous video, but there are no other location shots. There is a closing shot of Lamm’s paperback book of the same title. Subtle marketing at its best—this book is still available.