Mourner's Kaddish
Version of the Kaddish, praising God, that mourners recite during the bereavement period and to mark the anniversary of a death of a loved one.
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Do Jews Believe in an Afterlife?
What happens when we die? Do we see our loved ones? Do we know them? Do they know us? Jewish wisdom offers no definitive answer, but there is guidance in several core teachings.
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What to Expect at a Jewish Funeral
Jewish tradition teaches that human beings are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). This is the underpinning of all of the rituals and customs that make up a Jewish funeral.
- I’m planning an unveiling. What do I need to know?
- Is it Jewishly permissible for us to bury our beloved pet with my late mother? The dog meant a lot to her.
- Is it true that you cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery if you have a tattoo?
- Is it appropriate to visit a grave on Passover?
- My loved one has died during this time of pandemic. What mourning rituals can we do from home?
- When do you light yizkor (memorial) candles on Yom Kippur? Do you light candles only for immediate family members?
- What Are Yom Kippur Yizkor Prayers?
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End-of-Life Decisions: A Discussion Guide
We learn: "There is a time for being born and a time for dying" (Ecclesiastes3:2). But how do we know when the dying time has come? Are we free to determine time and method?.
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Preparing for a Jewish Funeral: A Guide
The death of a loved one is often a painful and confusing time. This guide will assist you in planning the funeral and offer helpful information on the centuries-old Jewish burial practices.
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Everything You Need to Know About the Jewish Custom of Shiva
Judaism has a carefully ritualized structure for dealing with grief. The first stage in the gradual process of healing is called shiva.
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Yahrzeit Calculator
It is a mitzvah (commandment) to observe yahrzeit, the anniversary of the day of death, by reciting Kaddish and attending synagogue services.
What's New
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This Tishah B'Av, Act as if There is No God
August 2, 2022
Tishah B'Av is a day of mourning, commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples. In recent years, it's also a day to mourn other tragedies that have darkened Jewish history - the Romans putting down the Bar Kochba revolt, mass murders of Jewish communities during the Crusades, expulsions from England, France, and Spain in the Middle Ages, and the Holocaust.
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Remembering Rabbi Dow Marmur z”l
July 19, 2022
We have lost one of the G'dolay ha'dor, one of the rabbinic giants of our time. Rabbi Dow Marmur's life reflected the triumphs and tragedy of 20th Century Jewish life, beginning in Poland on the eve of the Shoah to his last days in the State of Israel. He was truly brilliant, incisive, and witty, with unshakable integrity.
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For Some of Us the Holidays Are Just…Hard
November 18, 2021
As we head into the holiday season, I am acutely aware of how much different this year is going to be than previous ones. I will be celebrating without my mom for the first time. My mother died in January 2021, and I'm still dealing with the unexpected waves of grief that wash over me, sometimes out of nowhere. As I head into this first winter holiday season without her, I'm not quite sure I know what to expect, other than everything is going to be very different.