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.
Jewish Questions
- Can I say the Mourner’s Kaddish for Non-Jewish Loved Ones?
- Is it appropriate to visit a grave on Passover?
- What is the Jewish expression to refer to someone who has died?
- 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.
- 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?
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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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Facing Finitude
While it's true that much of life is uncertain, one thing we can all be sure of is that one day, our lives will end. We don't know how or when it will happen (hopefully after many happy years), but it will happen. How can we possibly prepare for this ultimate change? Judaism offers us several models
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Dying and Living with Dementia
Read about one man's journey to embrace life after he was diagnosed with early-stage dementia and how he found new meaning through studying Torah.
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For Some of Us the Holidays Are Just…Hard
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.