Many Jews are surprised to learn that Judaism has always held that there is something beyond the grave – a life in the “world to come.”  We just don’t know (or teach) the details because no one has come back to tell us and because Judaism’s focus is on this life rather than the life in the hereafter.   In this class, we will explore the wide range of authentic Jewish beliefs about the afterlife and how these beliefs have affected Jewish traditions of burial and mourning.  In our sessions we will examine what the Bible has to say, the Rabbinic and Talmudic thoughts and commentaries, the amazing world of medieval commentary, mystical and Kabbalistic insights and well as what modern thinkers contribute.  We will also explore Jewish funeral and mourning customs and their origins and even address the world of near death experiences and the possibility of communication between this world and the next.