Rabbi Adam Cerino Jones was a classmate of Emet at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. He is the rabbi of the Jewish congregation of New Paltz, New York.
Rabbi Annie Lewis is the director of admissions at the Jewish Theological Seminary. At the time Emet was in hospice, Rabbi Annie was the director of rabbinic formation at Reconstructing Judaism, and her husband, Rabbi Yosef Goldman, was the rabbi at Temple Beth Zion Beth Israel, so they lived only a block away from where Emet was in hospice. They visited often and were a consistent source of support. Rabbi Annie met Joan through Emet, and Joan later cared for Rabbi Annie’s children.
Pat Quigley Oral History Interview
Pat Quigley is the funeral home supervisor and funeral director at Laurel Hill Cemetary. Pat Quigley welcomed Emet’s friends to sit shmira, and directed Emet’s funeral.
Jordan Taitel Parnell first met Emet through If Not Now Philadelphia, where they were chevruta at their orientation. Jordan was in nursing school at the time Emet was in hospice and she is now a midwife based in Chicago.
Michael Cooperstein met Emet in high school at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School, a pluralistic Jewish day school on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Michael often came from New York City to stay with Emet in hospice, a profound mitzvah. Michael is a nurse located in New York City.
Mazal Horesh is Jewish and has EDS. Mazal met Emet first through PrettySick, a facebook group for chronically ill and disabled queer femme folks. Mazal is a researcher based in Bryn Mawr. Noah and Mazal sat shmira for Emet together.
Dr. Oren Fishman is a doctor of family medicine at Bryn Mawr Hospital. He was a medical student at Drexel University at the time Emet was in hospice. Oren met Emet in high school, at the Abraham Joshua Heschel school, a pluralistic Jewish day school on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Oren briefly dated Joan at the time Emet was in hospice.
Rabbi Zusha was a classmate of Emet at Reconstructing Judaism, and he was the rabbinic intern at Drexel University at the time Emet was in hospice. Zusha was ordained in 2020 and is a therapist and hospital chaplain based in Chicago.
Joan Fanwick Oral History Interview
Joan Fanwick is a special education teacher in the Philadelphia public schools. She has EDS and is a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, like Emet. She was dating Oren at the time Emet was in hospice, and she also cared for Rabbi Annie Lewis’s children.
Michaela Hearst Oral History Interview
Michaela met Emet in high school, at the Abraham Joshua Heschel school in Manhattan, a pluralistic Jewish day school. Michaela is a licensed clinical social worker, a doctoral student in education, and she has nonverbal learning disability.
Joshua Bright is a New York Times staff photojournalist who has previously covered the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, which emerged from the AIDS crisis. He embedded with us during Emet’s months in hospice because Emet contacted him and asked him to, as Emet wanted to teach people about death and dying and thought Joshua could help. Joshua is also a licensed clinical social worker/counselor and therapist.
Anomie Fatale is a nursing student in Philadelphia. She was Miss Wheelchair PA. She has EDS and Chiari.
Niko Oral History Interview. Niko is a graduate student at the University of Delaware. Niko met Emet through PrettySick, a facebook group for chronically ill and disabled folks on the more femme side of the spectrum. Niko had EDS and Long COVID. Niko was dating Kit at the time Emet was in hospice.
Kit Apostalocus Oral History Interview
Kit is a theology doctoral student at Villanova University and was dating Niko at the time Emet was in hospice. Kit frequently drove Niko to visit Emet, a profound mitzvah and form of mutual aid. In the course of the project, Noah and Kit discovered they had actually known each other and been friends as young children. They joyfully reconnected as adults.
Adam Bleiman Oral History Interview
Adam is a civil engineer and he organized with If Not Now Philadelphia.
Jordyn Kimelhein Oral History Interview
Jordyn organized with If Not Now Philadelphia.
Shir Lovett-Graff Oral History Interview. Shir worked for Reconstructing Judaism and was involved with If Not Now Philly at the time Emet was in hospice. Shir is a writer and organizer. They hold a masters in theological studies with a concentration in spiritual care and conflict transformation from Harvard Divinity School and will likely pursue the rabbinate in the future. Shir is the executive director of the Attleboro Area Interfaith Collaborative.
Shayn Oral History Interview. Shayn is Jewish and has EDS. Shayn is based in North Carolina.
Daniel Holtzman is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist based in Philadelphia. Daniel was an organizer with If Not Now Philadelphia and is a past editor in chief of New Voices Jewish Student Magazine.
Katie Bruckmann Oral History Interview. Katie was Miss Wheelchair DC 2021, and she is a public school teacher based in Boston. Katie was born with spina bifida, and she is also a pancreatic cancer survivor. Katie met Emet through PrettySick, a facebook group for disabled and chronically ill folks who are more on the femme side of things.
Oral History interview with Rabbi Sarah Brammer Shlay, campus chaplain of Grinnell College, Iowa. She is an alum of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and was one of Emet’s classmates and comrades at If Not Now Philly. Rabbi Sarah Brammer Shlay is a co-founder of If Not Now.
Sarah Giskin was an organizer with If Not Now Philadelphia. She was working as an organizer for the Philadelphia public library when Emet was in hospice.