Episode 223 - Parshat Chukat: The Life Affirming Work of Caring for the Dead

Parshat Chukat opens with the ritual of the red heifer (para aduma) which purifies individuals from impurity caused by contact with a dead body. Leadership comes in all different shapes and sizes, and in this episode I had the privilege to sit down with a leader of Am Yisrael, one who leads behind the scenes in her life affirming work of caring for the dead. Sharon Laufer has been a member of the Chevra Kedisha (Jewish burial society) since she was 29 and pregnant with triplets. A hessed experiment that first served as a way to calm her fear of death, ultimately became a life calling that has brought her into rooms facing scenarios she could never have imagined. Sharon's involvement in burial and body identification has made her and others who do similar work an integral part of the army both before and after October 7th. Listen to her story--until the end--to hear about her dedication to the דtate of Israel and about the holy work she does to escort the departed from this world to the next.