The mission of the Shomer Collective is to improve end-of-life experiences for individuals and their families— inspired by Jewish wisdom, values, and practices—by curating content and resources and building a diverse network of organizational partners.
We envision a world where end-of-life matters are spoken about openly, thoughtfully, and frequently, creating opportunities for many more people to engage with Jewish wisdom, values, and practices. These conversations and experiences can be transformational, having an impact not only on the person who is dying but on whole family and community systems.
In late 2018, a group of Natan members and philanthropic partners sat down for a Death Over Dinner experience after several members experienced direct losses of loved ones that revealed the systemic challenges inherent in much of end-of-life care in the United States. This group continued to meet regularly to explore topics connected to death and dying. These “NatanLab: End-of-Life” participants met together over meals in each other’s homes and offices, learning with doctors, rabbis, Jewish communal professionals and social entrepreneurs active in the end-of-life field. This discovery process unearthed a major opportunity to weave together existing initiatives and fill in the gaps with new resources and programs.