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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shayn Oral History Interview. Shayn is Jewish and has EDS. Shayn is based in North Carolina.
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.
Jordyn Kimelhein Oral History Interview
Jordyn organized with If Not Now Philadelphia.
Adam Bleiman Oral History Interview
Adam is a civil engineer and he organized with If Not Now Philadelphia.