Metro

May the coining year be filled with
health, happiness and prosperity
for all our family and f:finds

arc and Lori Barron

e wish our friends & family a very healthy,
happy and prosperous New Year.

Selma Clamage

"?2eht WidotebTo- Oar Cohtome.13 aartiettd6

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Ram &l eo y ear

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li 0S a m sm i g

To all our
relatives and friends,
our wish for ayear
filled with

To all our
relatives and friends,
our wish for wear
filled with

happiness, health
prosperity

happiness, health At*.

Ann, Ralph, Rachel,
Sara Zuckman

nor & Lou Heyman

Soul's Journey

Speaker uses humor to dispel major misconceptions.

ultimate pleasure being its closeness to
God. Palatnik depicted it as rather like
a theater, where one's seat after death
ho will you spend eternity
can be changed for the better through
with? What is Heaven like?
the merit of the good deeds of descen-
dants.
What about Hell?
These were some of the topics cov-
"But," warned Palatnik, "there are
ered in a fast-paced, intriguing talk by
things that can wipe out your eternity.
A ba'al lashon harah (habitual gossip)
Lori Palatnik Aug. 29 at the Jewish
Community Center in Oak Park,
separates others by his speech, so God
attended by about 150 women. The
accordingly separates from him."
lecture, organized by the Oak Park-
Arrogance was cited as another
based Machon L'Torah's Uniquely Ours doom.
program, dealt with Judaism's view of
Although the soul maintains connec-
the soul, death and the afterlife.
tion with parents and children in the
Palatnik is the educational director of afterlife, Palatnik informed the audi-
Aish HaTorah of Denver and the
ence that the soul is mostly with one's
author of several books, among them
spouse, who is, according to Jewish tra-
Remember My Soul, a book about
dition, the soul's other half She joked
Jewish mourning practices.
about reaction to this knowledge:
She began her talk by noting the
Some people are really happy to hear
prevalence of "major misconceptions"
this, and some, maybe, are not quite so
thrilled."
about the Jewish view of the afterlife.
This stems from discomfort discussing
Palatnik reminded the audience how
death and confusion with Christian
the soul had begged for challenges in
beliefs. Judaism, in fact,
this world. "You don't
believes in life after death
marry a perfect person,"
and the eternity of the
she admonished. "You
soul. The soul's sojourn
marry a person who's per-
here on earth is spent sur-
fect for YOU!"
mounting challenges
Palatnik briefly dis-
which, according to
cussed other topics,
Palatnik, it begged God
including the Jewish
for before being sent into
belief in the Messiah,
the world.
reincarnation ("Yes, we
At the end of life, the
believe in it"), resurrec-
soul is judged for its
tion of the dead, "tragic"
accomplishments, similar
deaths and afterlife ques-
to the yearly High
tions for single, divorced
Holiday judgment.
and remarried people.
Lori Palatnik: soulful
Palatnik play-acted the
Sue Faitler of Oak Park
scenario, dramatizing the
said she appreciated
soul's jubilant relief at
Palatnik's ability to put a
finding "Dad" (God), the judge in
humorous spin on such a provocative
court and the soul's subsequent chagrin
topic. "She could have been heavy-
at having "Dad" learn the disappoint-
handed, but the way she handled it, the
ing accusations leveled against it.
talk was very inspiring," she said.
•
Palatnik portrayed Gehenom, the
The following day, Palatnik addressed
Jewish Hell, as a "hospital for the soul." Beth Jacob and Yeshivas Darchei Torah
"No one wants to be there, but it's
high school girls at Machon L'Torah on
the topic of Shmirat haLashon, guard-
there to fix you up if you need it," she
said. Gehenom was described as "a
ing one's tongue from gossip.
world of shame — what I could've
Palatnik's talks were sponsored by the
been, what I could've done; what I
Sigler family in memory of Elan
should've been, what I should've done
Malach Sigler, son of Yisroel and
Danielle Sigler of Oak Park. Elan died
Gan Eden, the Jewish Heaven, is "a
at three days old from OTC, a meta-
world of unbelievable pleasure and
bolic genetic disorder. ❑
nachas," said Palatnik, with the soul's

SUSAN TAWIL
Special to the Jewish News

W

)1

Jeff Rothenberg

IN

9/10
2004

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