Creatively Compassionate Workshop for Grief : Death Wings Project (Jewish Edition)
Death Wings Project Jewish Edition
Shomer Collective Fellow - Betzy Lynch
Inspiration:
In Bess Welden’s play, Death Wings, the central character, Grand, shows us her invented end-of-life ritual and creative practice. When someone is dying, she asks them to tell her the story of their life in five sentences. She then collects paper, fabric, and fibers to craft a set of wings that she believes helps the person travel from this life to what comes next.
When her father was dying, Bess made a set of human-sized wings out of his handkerchiefs, neckties, pajamas, family photos, maps of places that were important to him, and other reclaimed materials. The hands-on, generative, and meditative process became an essential part of her grieving process. The wings are both a visual memorial and a way of letting go.
Experience:
Death Wings: A Hands-on Creative Ritual for Remembering and Letting Go. This workshop is a three-hour session for gathering in a small group, gently opening up to some thoughts and feelings about loss and grief, engaging in a simple art project (no experience necessary, please watch this video for a preview), and then optional sharing of reflections/stories about what emerges for you and the group through the process.
Audience:
The workshop is designed for people over the age of 16.
For more information about hosting a workshop or training:
Connect with Bess Welden @ deathwingsproject.
- Belonging
- Care
- Creativity and the Arts
- Grief and Death
- Educator Training
- Congregational Learning
- Family Engagement
Discover more
Resources on death and dying created as part of the Shomer Collective Educator Fellowship.
A re-release of the first Adapting episode featuring Maya Bernstein.
This PowerPoint contains a description of a program I wrote for our Jewish disability community. There are six activities that can easily be adapted to other communities.