Free Forum Q&A: SARA DAVIDSON, author of THE DECEMBER PROJECT: An Extraordinary Rabbi and a Skeptical Seeker Take Aim at Our Greatest Mystery

Aired: 03/16/14We all deal day to day with a lot of questions and a lot of fears - around work, money, health, politcs, relationships. And at some point, we will all deal with the final fears and the final questions - fear of death and questions about what it means and what if anything comes after.At his request, today's guest, SARA DAVIDSON met every Friday for two years with 89-year-old RABBI ZALMAN SHACHTER-SHALOMI, the iconic founder of the Jewish Renewal movment, to discuss what he calls THE DECEMBER PROJECT. "When you can feel in your cells that you're coming to the end of your tour of duty," in tHe rabbi's words, "what is the spiritual work of this time, how do we prepare for the mystery?" Davidson, who describes herself as having a seeker's heart and a skeptic's mind, feared death would be a complete annihilation, while Reb Zalman felt certain that "something continues." He didn't want to convince her of anything, but to loosen her mind." Through their talks, he wanted to help people "not freak out about dying," and enable them to have a more heightened and grateful life.