Helpful Resources
Guidance, Support and Information
Navigating serious illness, end-of-life decisions and caring for a loved one can sometimes feel overwhelming. You don't have to find all the answers alone.
The following organisations offer valuable information, practical guidance and support to individuals and families. I hope these resources will help you feel more informed, supported and confident in making decisions that reflect your wishes and values.
Tzohar Ad 120 — Halachic and Ethical Guidance
Tzohar Ad 120 offers guidance to individuals and families facing complex medical, ethical and halachic decisions surrounding serious illness and the end of life. Their compassionate and experienced team of rabbis and social workers helps families navigate difficult questions with sensitivity, compassion and respect for Jewish values.
Website: https:ad120.tzohar.org.il/en/home-page/
Tzohar offers individualized support for patients and their families with a hotline that offers immediate answers to ethical and Halachic questions 24/6, free of charge. Hotline *9253
Ematai — Navigating End-of-Life Care with Jewish Wisdom
Ematai is a Jewish organisation that helps individuals and families navigate the challenges of ageing, serious illness and end-of-life decisions through the guidance of Jewish wisdom and halacha. It offers educational resources, advance healthcare planning tools and access to rabbinic and medical expertise for complex ethical decisions. Ematai encourages families to have important conversations early, helping ensure that personal wishes and Jewish values are understood and respected.
Website: https://www.ematai.org
Useful Websites
B'Lev Shalem (בלב שלם) — Practical Support and Care Management for Older Adults
B'Lev Shalem provides personalised care management and practical support for older adults and their families in Israel. Their experienced, bilingual team helps families navigate the often overwhelming challenges of ageing and illness, including finding and coordinating caregivers, applying for Bituach Leumi benefits and other entitlements, arranging medical appointments, organising home care, obtaining medical equipment and dealing with Israeli bureaucracy.
They also assist with hospital discharges, care transitions, legal planning referrals and end-of-life arrangements. Their compassionate, hands-on approach helps families feel supported while ensuring their loved ones receive the care, dignity and attention they deserve.
Website: https://www.blevshalem.com
Kol Zchut (כל זכות) — Understanding Your Rights in Israel
Kol Zchut is a free, comprehensive online resource helping individuals and families understand and access the rights, benefits and services available to them in Israel. It provides clear, practical information on Bituach Leumi allowances, elderly care, disability benefits, employing caregivers, medical rights, financial assistance and support for family members caring for loved ones.
The website also explains eligibility requirements and how to apply for benefits, helping families navigate Israeli bureaucracy and access the assistance they are entitled to during times of illness, ageing and changing care needs.
Website: https://www.kolzchut.org.il
Ted talks about death and dying
Transforming the conversation about death and dying | Marian Taylor | TEDxHBU
Marian Taylor, a nurse whose specialty has allowed her to journey with many patients to their final moments, discusses the importance of having the difficult conversation about death and dying with your loved ones. She proposes that having a death plan is just as important as the birth plan most new parents have in place. This talk will put the difficult topics of death and dying in a new perspective. Marian Taylor, a graduate of University of Texas Houston Health Science Center School of Nursing, began her nursing career over thirteen years ago in the field of pediatric hematology and oncology. She spent ten years caring for children with blood disorders and cancer at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. Discovering her passion for end of life care, Marian is currently working as a rural hospice nurse. In addition to her career as a nurse, she is also a mom to two small children, an artist and writer.
What happens as we die? | Kathryn Mannix | TEDxNewcastle
Dr. Kathryn Mannix gently explains the natural process of dying, helping to ease fears and encourage open, honest conversations about end-of-life care. Her reassuring talk offers understanding, comfort and a greater sense of peace.
Kathryn believes that by naming death, describing the process, and helping people to know what to expect, we can have honest and helpful conversations that promote better planning of end-of-life care and reduce unnecessary medical complications of dying. Her hope is that we can de-medicalise dying, and give it back to everyone as a precious time to be lived as well as possible.
Resources for Children
Helping Children Cope with Grief – Sesame Workshop
A gentle and reassuring collection of videos, stories and activities featuring familiar Sesame Street characters, designed to help young children understand death, express their feelings and cope with the loss of a loved one. A valuable resource for parents and caregivers supporting children through grief.
Storytime With Miss Sue: The Fall of Freddie the Leaf
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf – Leo Buscaglia
A beautifully illustrated and gentle story about the cycle of life, told through the changing seasons and the journey of a leaf named Freddie. This touching book offers a comforting way to explore life, death and loss, helping children and adults understand that change is a natural part of life. A thoughtful resource for opening conversations about grief and finding meaning in life's transitions.