Podcast
Exit Strategy
Hosted by Stephanie Garry, Executive Vice President, Plaza Jewish Community Chapel · EN
What’s one thing we’re all good at? How about not talking — or even thinking — about end-of-life issues.
28episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Death as Teacher: Finding Meaning in the Life We Have
Yesterday00:29:51Tap to summarizeAn Exit Strategy Conversation with Dr. Charlotte Grinberg What if thinking about death could help us live more fully? In this thought-provoking episode of Exit Strategy, Stephanie Garry welcomes Dr. Charlotte Grinberg, physician, writer, and advocate for bringing conversations about mortality into everyday life. Inspired by her widely shared essay in The Free Press, Dr. Grinberg challenges us to rethink our relationship with death—not as something to fear or avoid, but as one of life’s greatest teachers. As Dr. Grinberg writes: “I believe death should not be seen only as an ending. It is a teacher, a mirror, a catalyst. It shapes how we live, and where we seek meaning.” Together, Stephanie and Dr. Grinberg explore why our culture struggles to talk about death, how acknowledging our mortality can deepen our relationships, and why conversations about end-of-life wishes are ultimately conversations about how we choose to live. In this episode you’ll discover: • Why avoiding death often keeps us from fully embracing life. • How mortality can become a source of purpose, gratitude, and clarity. • The importance of having meaningful conversations with family and loved ones before a crisis. • What medicine has taught Dr. Grinberg about resilience, dignity, and the human experience. • How each of us can begin living more intentionally today. This conversation beautifully reflects Plaza Jewish Community Chapel’s mission to normalize end-of-life conversations—not because life is ending, but because every life deserves to be lived with intention, compassion, and meaning. Whether you’re planning ahead, caring for a loved one, or simply reflecting on what matters most, this episode will leave you with a renewed appreciation for the preciousness of life. Subscribe to Exit Strategy and join us as we continue exploring the conversations that help us live well, love deeply, and leave a meaningful legacy. https://www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org/ https://substack.com/@charlottegrinberg The post Death as Teacher: Finding Meaning in the Life We Have appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
Transcribe →Returning to the Earth: A Conversation on Green Burial with Lily Sage Weinrieb
4w ago00:30:22Tap to summarizeAs more people seek environmentally conscious choices throughout their lives, many are also considering how those values can shape their final arrangements. In this episode of Exit Strategy, host Stephanie Garry sits down with Lily Sage Weinrieb, Funeral Director at Plaza Jewish Community Chapel and Green Burial Specialist, to explore the growing interest in green burial and what it means for individuals, families, and communities. Lily shares her expertise on the principles of green burial, including natural burial grounds, biodegradable caskets and shrouds, conservation cemeteries, and the environmental impact of traditional burial and cremation practices. Together, we discuss common misconceptions, Jewish perspectives on natural burial, practical planning considerations, and why so many people are finding comfort in a return to simplicity and a deeper connection with nature. Whether you are planning ahead, supporting a family member, friend, or simply curious about sustainable end-of-life options, this conversation offers thoughtful guidance on a movement that is reshaping how we think about death, legacy, and stewardship of the earth. https://www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org/ https://www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org/green-burial-services/ The post Returning to the Earth: A Conversation on Green Burial with Lily Sage Weinrieb appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
Transcribe →The Gift of Planning Ahead: A Conversation with Anthony Caratozzolo
Jun 2600:23:58Tap to summarizeTalking about death isn’t easy. Planning for it can feel even harder. Yet one of the most meaningful gifts we can leave our loved ones is clarity. In this episode of Exit Strategy, Stephanie Garry sits down with Plaza Jewish Community Chapel’s Certified Preplanning Consultant and Funeral Director, Anthony Caratozzolo, to discuss what funeral pre-planning really means, why more families are choosing to make arrangements in advance, and how planning ahead can reduce emotional and financial stress during a difficult time. Anthony shares practical advice, common misconceptions, and the questions every family should consider before a crisis occurs. Together they explore how pre-planning creates peace of mind, honors personal wishes, and allows families to focus on what matters most: supporting one another. Whether you’re beginning to think about your own plans or helping a loved one navigate theirs, this conversation offers thoughtful guidance and valuable insights. About Anthony Caratozzolo Anthony Caratozzolo is a Funeral Director and Certified Preplanning Consultant at Plaza Jewish Community Chapel. He joined Plaza in 2015 and brings more than 25 years of funeral service experience. Licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Florida, Anthony works closely with individuals and families to create meaningful pre-arrangements that reflect their values, wishes, and financial goals. Learn More Visit Plaza Jewish Community Chapel: https://www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org To learn more or speak with Anthony directly about pre-planning options go to: https://www.preplan.nyc/ The post The Gift of Planning Ahead: A Conversation with Anthony Caratozzolo appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
Transcribe →The Doctor and the Chaplain: Healing Beyond Medicine
Jun 700:25:59Tap to summarizeA Conversation with Dr. Jessica Zitter What happens when a physician learns that healing involves more than medicine? In this episode of Exit Strategy, Stephanie Garry speaks with Dr. Jessica Zitter—critical care physician, author, filmmaker, and advocate for compassionate end-of-life care—about her powerful documentary, The Chaplain & The Doctor. The film chronicles Dr. Zitter’s transformative relationship with hospital chaplain Betty Clark, whose approach to spiritual care challenged and ultimately expanded Dr. Zitter’s understanding of what patients and families need most. Together, they explore the intersection of medicine, spirituality, compassion, and human connection. Stephanie and Dr. Zitter discuss the lessons she learned from Chaplain Clark, the importance of listening, addressing suffering beyond physical symptoms, and how healthcare professionals can better support patients and families facing serious illness. The Chaplain & The Doctor is currently touring theaters across the country, with a Los Angeles screening scheduled for June 11 and additional dates being added regularly. About Dr. Jessica Zitter Dr. Jessica Zitter is a critical care and palliative care physician, filmmaker, author, and founder of Reel Medicine Media. She is widely known for her work advocating for more humane, patient-centered care and was featured in the Oscar- and Emmy-nominated documentary Extremis. She is also the author of Extreme Measures, which chronicles her own transformation as a physician and her commitment to improving end-of-life care. chaplainandthedoctor.com https://reelmedicinemedia.org/chaplain plazajewishcommunitychapel.org The post The Doctor and the Chaplain: Healing Beyond Medicine appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
Transcribe →Eric Goldstein on Legacy, Leadership, and Letting Go
May 2900:32:44Tap to summarizeAs he prepares to close an extraordinary chapter as CEO of UJA-Federation of New York, Eric Goldstein joins Exit Strategy for a deeply personal and reflective conversation about leadership, legacy, and what it means to step away after guiding one of the most influential Jewish organizations in the world through moments of challenge, heartbreak, renewal, and hope. This is not simply a conversation about retirement or transition. It is about the quiet and complicated act of letting go — of identity, responsibility, daily purpose, and the rhythm of a life built in service to others. Together, we explore Eric’s own “exit strategy”: how a leader prepares to leave while ensuring the mission endures, how one measures impact after decades of communal stewardship, and what wisdom emerges when the urgency of leadership gives way to reflection. With candor, humility, and vision, Eric reflects on the burdens and blessings of leadership, the evolving needs of the Jewish community, and the deeply human question that awaits anyone who has devoted their life to a calling: Who am I when the title is gone? It is a conversation about endings, continuity, and the courage required to begin again. www.ujafedny.org www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org The post Eric Goldstein on Legacy, Leadership, and Letting Go appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
Transcribe →The Myth of Self
May 800:34:54Tap to summarizeWhat if the self isn’t as fixed as we believe? In this episode of Exit Strategy, Stephanie Garry speaks with Rabbi Jonathan Blake about how rethinking identity—through a Jewish and philosophical lens—can transform the way we approach mortality. Together, they explore how loosening our grip on the idea of a singular, bounded self may open the door to greater connection, meaning, and even a different relationship with death. https://www.wrtemple.org/about/leadership/senior-rabbi-jonathan-blake/ https://www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org/ The post The Myth of Self appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
Transcribe →What Remains: Rachel Seidman on Preserving Lives Through Story
Apr 2400:16:29Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Exit Strategy, Stephanie Garry sits down with Rachel Seidman to explore the profound role of storytelling in how we remember, honor, and make meaning of a life. Together, they discuss how personal narratives shape legacy, the emotional and ethical dimensions of capturing someone’s story, and what it means to preserve memory in the face of loss. Rachel shares insights from her work, offering a thoughtful perspective on how stories can both ground us in grief and connect us across generations. This conversation invites listeners to consider not just how we say goodbye—but how we ensure a life continues to be felt, remembered, and understood. Our Story: A Guide to Recording and Sharing Your Family History, HERE! Rachel F. Seidman is an award-winning curator and a professional oral historian who works at the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum. Previously, Seidman directed the Southern Oral History Program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where she also taught history. She has also taught at Duke University and at Carleton College. In 2019 Seidman was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Turku, Finland. She holds a PhD in history from Yale University, and a BA from Oberlin College. She is the author of Our Story and Speaking of Feminism. plazajewishcommunitychapel.org The post What Remains: Rachel Seidman on Preserving Lives Through Story appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
Transcribe →Choosing Life—Even in Death, A Sacred Conversation: Organ Donation and Jewish Values
Apr 500:26:35Tap to summarizeAfter we’re gone, what remains—and what can we still give? In this compelling episode of Exit Strategy, host Stephanie Garry speaks with Rabbi Joshua Rabin and Mara Bragg about organ donation as a final, radical act of compassion. It’s a conversation about legacy, courage, and the choices that define us—right to the very end. https://www.organdonationalliance.org/profile/rabbi-joshua-rabin/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SvPpRzD35U https://educator.jewishedproject.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/Shomer%20Project%20Resource%20for%20JEP%20by%20Mara%20Bragg%20.pdf https://www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org/ https://www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org/exit-strategy/ The post Choosing Life—Even in Death, A Sacred Conversation: Organ Donation and Jewish Values appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
Transcribe →Endings, Accountability, and the Stories That Outlive Us
Mar 600:17:09Tap to summarizeIn this deeply personal and thought-provoking conversation, Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry sits down with filmmaker Justin Schein to explore legacy, family history, and the complicated moral inheritance we carry. Through the lens of his documentary work, (Death and Taxes and Left on Purpose) Justin reflects on uncovering long-buried truths within his own family story — including wealth, silence, responsibility, and the question of what repair truly looks like. Together, they examine how storytelling can serve as a form of reckoning, how accountability reshapes legacy, and what it means to confront the past with honesty and courage. Death and Taxes is now screening across the country in educational and Jewish communities. If you are interested in screening the film with your community, please reach out to deathtaxesfilm@gmail.com. Shadowbox Films https://www.shadowboxfilms.com/work Plaza Jewish Community Chapel https://www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org/ The post Endings, Accountability, and the Stories That Outlive Us appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
Transcribe →At the Gate: Talking about Life’s Estimated Time of Departure
Feb 1100:22:49Tap to summarizeIn this heartfelt and thought-provoking conversation, Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry sits down with author and academic Dr. Willy Donaldson to explore his memoir Estimated Time of Departure. Donaldson shares his personal journey navigating conversations with his aging parents about their wishes, fears, and life stories — conversations many of us avoid until it’s too late. https://cnu.edu/faculty/williamdonaldson.html Plaza Jewish Community Chapel 25th Anniversary events: Plaza Jewish Community Chapel 25th Anniversary events: www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org/25th-anniversary Contact Exit Strategy: exitstrategy@plazajewish.org The post At the Gate: Talking about Life’s Estimated Time of Departure appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
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