Like a Sukkah sheltering the People of Israel in uncertain times, the Chevra Kadisha enfolds our island Jewish community. Come explore and learn with us how the Chevra Kadisha supports the Jewish community, including rituals that guide us through the most challenging times, offering a pathway for embracing life fully, a companion through the process of integrating life’s inevitable losses, and doing it as one community together.

Holly Blue Hawkins--Rosha (“head”) of the Santa Cruz Community Chevra Kadisha, Graduate and faculty member of the Gamliel Institute, member of the Green Burial Council Speakers Bureau, and co-founder of Natural Deathcare Initiative. With over thirty years of experience in the field of life-death transition, Holly Blue brings a wide range of experience to assist families and communities in embracing the realities of death while striving for grace, dignity, culturally and environmentally appropriate solutions for addressing the many issues encircling a life-death transition.