The Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation (LJCC) will begin its educational series “Dying Well” with a double-bill event featuring KU Associate Professor of Philosophy Bradford Cokelet and Joshua Stein, executive director of the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF).
The event, scheduled for Monday, Feb. 12 at the LJCC (917 Highland Drive, Lawrence, KS 66044), will focus on the topic of legacy — what it means, how it’s thought about and the philanthropic tools by which one can ensure a future of value. The event is free and open to the public, and Zoom attendance is available. The LJCC requests advanced registration (tinyurl.com/yckr29yh).
The evening will begin at 7 p.m. with Cokelet leading a discussion on “the kind of wisdom that is uniquely available in the last chapter of life” and how “passing that on” can inform thinking about legacy. Stein will then show philanthropic tools by which one can continue to improve the world even after they die. The two-part conversation will be followed by a reception.
“We all have big questions about death and what it means to make a difference in the world,” said Dr. Lara Giordano, LJCC program and engagement director. “I think it’s important to make space to collectively work through those big questions, so that when we are confronted with the equally daunting task of writing our wills, we know what’s important — what we wish to leave behind. Dr. Cokelet’s philosophical consideration of legacy and Josh Stein’s practical approach bring these two issues together.”
This event is the inaugural occasion of “Dying Well,” which is devoted to the examination of issues — both practical and spiritual — related to death and dying. The second installment will be on Sunday, April 28, and will feature Rabbi Mark Levin, the founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park. Rabbi Levin will speak on the topic of “spiritual aging” — how to create meaning and purpose in life in view of death. Later in the year, the series will feature Joseph Megerman, president of the Kansas City Chevra Kadisha, speaking about his experiences with tahara (the ritual cleansing of the body before burial) and KU Jewish Studies Professor Samuel Brody addressing what Judaism says about the death penalty and the carceral state.
More information about the LJCC is available at ljcc.shulcloud.com or by contacting Dr. Lara Giordano at or (785) 841-7636.
