“I remember being told ‘It’s not WHO’s on the air, it’s WHAT’s on the air’ — when I heard that, I knew that my days were numbered. ”— Howard Berger

While losing your job can be stressful at any age, for those over 50 it can be a life-changing crisis. Entering the job market over the age of 50 often brings with it a host of psychological issues, including anxiety, insecurity, depression, and emotional paralysis.

An analysis of employment data spanning the years 1990-2016 has shown that over 50% of workers who entered their 50s with stable, full-time employment were laid off or forced out at least once by their 65th birthdays. 9 out of 10 never again found work that matched their previous salary — and most never recovered financially from this loss.

This episode of the Living Jewishly Podcasts is an instalment of Crossing The Sea, a podcast about Judaism and mental health. Dr. Elliot Malamet speaks with Howard Berger, a former sports journalist who spent many years covering professional athletes for radio and print publications. The involuntary loss of his journalism career in 2011 led to years of emotional struggle — until his professional path took an unexpected turn in his late 50s and brought new meaning into his life.

“Every funeral service is the most important of all time — and that’s the only way to do it.”— Howard Berger

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

• The athlete/journalist relationship and how it has changed over the decades
• The emotions that Howard dealt with in the aftermath of being let go — and the trend in his industry that led to his firing
• The meaningful nature of Howard’s new career and the reverence he brings to his work

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:50 Intro

02:51 Dealing with professional athletes

05:06 The athlete/journalist relationship

06:52 Post-9/11 travel & other job-related stresses

09:01 Being let go

11:51 Immediate aftermath

13:40 Between the Posts & growing debt

16:14 Transitioning to funeral industry

20:38 Compassion & reverence

25:01 Covid-era funeral services

29:31 Jewish burial practices

32:28 Conclusion

Links:‌ ‌

Between the Posts

https://betweentheposts.ca

To get in contact or learn more about Living Jewishly:

Visit‌ ‌our ‌website: https://livingjewishly.org

Follow us on Instagram: @living.jewishly

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO2YEegjapKpQeXG6zh6tzw

or send us an email at hello@livingjewishly.org.

Shalom!