Finding Hope and Faith in the Face of Death

This book is about giving people hope and faith, comfort and inspiration when a death occurs. It is based on my experiences throughout my forty-year career as a rabbi in helping my congregants deal with the emotions and thoughts that occur when a loved one dies. I have grown to understand, and have taught about, the importance of community when we are mourners, and of the absolute emotional and spiritual power of prayer. The book includes lessons that I have learned personally and professionally, lessons that are relevant to the very real issues brought on by sorrow and regret. My messages not only educate those who read them but also convey a sense of faith and hope that can positively affect our transition from mourning to living our lives. And, they are valid for Jews and non-Jews alike--those who attend services, and those who don't.


""Stephen Karol walks with the reader through challenging questions about death and mourning and elucidates traditions surrounding these most complex subjects. His poignant stories and discussions equip the reader with new perspectives and tools for understanding and approaching the reality of death and mourning through a Jewish lens.""
--Abby Gostein, Cantor of Temple Beth Shalom, Austin, Texas

""Karol sensitively combines information, personal feelings and insights pertaining to dealing with death. Mourners and those who offer comfort will learn a great deal about coping with the death of a loved one. I truly appreciate Karol's well-written, thoughtful book.""
--Ronald C. Bluming, Chaplain, The Renaissance Assisted Living, Atlanta, Georgia

""Beautifully written and timelessly poignant, Karol has written a book full of compassion and empathy on not only coping with the death of a loved one but finding meaning from it. He affirms the incalculable value of life, and the important message that our Jewish mourning rituals don't happen in a vacuum, but in the healing and comforting context of community.""
--Robyn Stein DeLuca, Research Assistant Professor, Stony Brook University

""Writing in a warm and inviting style, Karol draws on his intimate access to those confronting the death of a loved one. Weaving personal experiences and Jewish tradition, he extracts fear as readers face their own feelings about death. The book is punctuated by nuggets of insights, such as that we shouldn't worship the dead but honor them. I highly recommend this eminently readable book about the most important subjects of our lives.""
--Lawrence J. Epstein, author of Americans and the Birth of Israel


Stephen A. Karol is Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook, New York. He was ordained at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati in 1977, and has served at Temple Beth Zion in Buffalo, New York, Congregation Sha'aray Shalom in Hingham, Massachusetts, and Temple Isaiah. He teaches at Temple Isaiah and also at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Stony Brook University. Rabbi Karol lives in Port Jefferson, New York, with his wife, Donna.