Rabbi Earl A. Grollman was a grief expert who appeared on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and counseled grieving Americans after the Oklahoma City bombing and the 9/11 attacks.
- Died: October 15, 2021 (Who else died on October 15?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Belmont, Massachusetts of congestive heart failure at the age of 96.
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“Grief is the price we pay for love”
Grollman began studying grief as a young rabbi, frustrated that he had not been taught in seminary how to help his congregation in times of mourning. Grollman was the rabbi of Beth El Temple Center in Belmont, Massachusetts for 36 years before his retirement in 1987. He became a nationally recognized expert on grief even as he led the congregation, writing books including “Living When a Loved One Has Died” and “Straight Talk About Death for Teenagers: How to Cope with Losing Someone You Love.”
Grollman appeared on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” in 1981, talking to children about the grief they might experience after their parents divorced. In 1995, after the deadly bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Grollman traveled to the city to speak to survivors and offer presentations on grief. He helped survivors after the 9/11 attacks as well, and he traveled to the sites of some school shootings to counsel those who lost loved ones. Grollman also spoke on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and on National Public Radio. Among the insights he shared with the bereaved was his adage, “Grief is the price we pay for love.”
Notable quote
“Death brings you a choice. It can lead you to the edge of the abyss. Or you can build a bridge that will span the chasm.” —from “Living When a Loved One Has Died”
Tributes to Rabbi Earl A. Grollman
Full obituary: The New York Times
