Death Rituals Series: Chevra Kadisha with Gail Rubin

Chevra Kadisha is On the Table Today. For the final episode of our Death Rituals series, we’re joined by death educator Gail Rubin.Gail Rubin is an American author, speaker, and Certified Thanatologist known for helping people have more open, less intimidating conversations about death and end-of-life planning. Often called “The Doyenne of Death,” she uses humor, films, and practical tools to make a traditionally taboo topic more approachable. She is the author of A Good Goodbye and Kicking the Bucket List, guiding people through funeral planning and getting their affairs in order. Based in Albuquerque, she is also a leading voice behind the Death Café movement in the U.S., encouraging honest discussions about mortality.Gail joins On the Table with Ashley to explore the longstanding Jewish tradition of Hevra Kadisha - its origins, meaning, and purpose - to share how this practice has shaped her own grief journey. She opens up about navigating loss, from grief counseling to psychedelic-assisted therapy, and the ways she has leaned on community to heal and move forward.The conversation closes with a powerful reminder about the importance of preparing for and talking about death, echoing Gail’s well-known line: “Talking about sex won’t make you pregnant; talking about funerals won’t make you dead.”The result is a deeply vulnerable and thoughtful reflection on death rituals; what they are, why they matter, and why we need to talk about them.Listen to the full episode, out now on your favorite podcast platformVisit Gail Rubin’s Website.Read A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those who Don’t Plan to Die by Gail Rubin.Read Kicking the Bucket List: 100 Downsizing & Organizing Things To Do Before You Die by Gail RubinRead Hail and Farewell- Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips By Gail Rubin and Susan Fraser.Buy 98.6 Mortality Movies to See Before you Die by Gail Rubin on presale.Read Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin DoughtyRead Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: And Other Questions About Dead Bodies by Caitlin DoughtyRead From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin DoughtyWatch Jewish Funeral Traditions on Film: a Presentation by Gail Rubin.Learn More About The 6 R’s Model of Mournin