Hereafter Program Series I / II / III

In conjunction with the Hereafter exhibition at Contemporary Craft (on view from May 31 – August 24, 2024), this program series presents enlightening lectures and a captivating dance performance that explore the multifaceted approaches to grief and mourning across different societies and perspectives. This series provides a platform for collective engagement and offers inspirational guidance on how individuals can navigate the emotional terrain of loss, celebrating life through distinct rituals, ceremonies, and practices. By sharing various perspectives, the series aims to illuminate the universal themes of loss and remembrance while showcasing the richness and diversity of human responses to life’s transition.

Session I – Thursday, July 18 from 6 pm – 7:30 pm | Grief and Loss from a Jewish Perspective, Nancy Zionts and Sharon Brody

Session II – Thursday, August 8 from 6 pm – 7:30 pm | Death Machine and The Speed of Grief, Ricardo iamuuri Robinson

Session III – Thursday, August 22, 2024 6:30-7:30pm | How the Arts and Artmaking Transform Grief

Session I: Grief and Loss from a Jewish Perspective

Join us for a meaningful community session exploring grief and loss through a Jewish lens. Our speakers, Sharon Ryave Brody, licensed funeral director and President of Ralph Schugar Chapel, and Nancy Zionts, COO and Chief Program Officer of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation will delve into some of the practices, customs and rituals surrounding death, burial and mourning. Our discussion will highlight the spiritual and emotional aspects of grief, memory and legacy and how those fit within the context and the wisdom of Jewish traditions. All are welcome.

Speakers: Nancy Zionts and Sharon Ryave Brody

Nancy Zionts, COO/Chief Program Officer for the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, is responsible for the grant agenda for the Foundation, and its operating arms, Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative and Health Careers Futures, and WHAMglobal. Areas of focus include: Aging/Long Term Care and End of Life, Quality & Safety, and Workforce (including Fellowships and Community Health Workers, and Women’s Health. She currently leads Teaching Nursing Home Collaborative, and the Statewide Long Term Care Learning Network for Nursing Facilities. She is a co-founder of the PA Coalition for Quality at End of Life. She has been active in many of the Foundation’s initiatives including its women’s heart health initiative, Working Hearts, Closure and Caregiver Champions Initiatives, the JHF Fellowship On Death and Dying, and in the development of relevant publications including Longer Lives Better Health: Helping Seniors Preserve their Physical, Mental and Social Well-being, and Moderating the Effects of Aging: A Caregiver’s Manual.

Sharon Ryave Brody is the Owner, President and Licensed Funeral Director of her family’s business, Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., Sharon is the third generation of Ryave family funeral directors. Sharon proudly holds the distinction of being the first Jewish woman to become a licensed funeral director in Pittsburgh following her graduation from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science as Class President in 1995. Sharon’s professional affiliations include memberships in the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association (PFDA), the Allegheny County Funeral Directors Association (ACFDA), and the Jewish Funeral Directors of America (JFDA). Ralph Schugar Chapel is a proud member of KAVOD. She is on the Board of Directors for the Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association and a Lifetime Member of the National Council of Jewish Women, where she is a former board member. Former Board of Directors member of the Aleph Institute, Northeast Division.