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Topic Tags: loss

Latest Rituals

Some Leaves are Falling

“The grand naked strength of their trunks / Begins to be revealed once again…”
  • by Marc Jacobs
autumn, leaves, loss, soul
Sunrise shining through tall, leafless trees in a forest, casting long shadows on the ground.

Candles I Remember

“The candles glow, tender, bright, something like your presence in my heart.”
  • by Beth Kanell
candle lighting, grief, hanukkah, light, loss, love, marriage, mourning, relationships
a hanukkiah with lit candles

Leaves and Lives

“Visions of forest-green diminish / until another time.”
  • by Marc Jacobs
autumn, loss
Tall trees with yellow autumn leaves and fallen leaves covering the ground in a serene, sunlit park.

Eikha-Ayekha

“Wavering candlelight / illuminates our lament…”
  • by Rabbi Janet Madden
ancestors, generations, lamentations, loss, tisha b'av
A single lit candle burning in the dark with a bright flame and black background.

Returning to the Circle: Guided Reflection on the Return of a Congregant after Loss

This lovely ritual can be adapted for the loss of any animal companion
  • by Rabbi Jo Beilby
Animal companions, community, grief, loss, pets, rainbow bridge
Silhouette of a woman and a dog touching noses at sunset, sitting on grass.

An Imperfect Healing

“May we have the time /  to navigate our grief / with grace / at a pace  all our own. “
  • by Dani Rader
grief, loss
Black and white photo of an orchid stem with several delicate, drooping flowers against a blurred background.

Grief sneaks up on you

“Grief sneaks up on you / It taps you on your shoulder…”
  • by Janice Leslie Hochstat Greenberg
grief, loss, soul
Dried, twisted tree branches on sandy desert ground under a blue sky with distant mountains.

Fire

“We will come together, as we always do, to make fire holy in our lives again.”
  • by Rabbi Marina Yergin
candles, loss, Shabbat, wildfires
Close-up of a lit candle with a melting wax drip and soft flame in the background.

A Prayer for Losing a Friend Too Soon

“May his/her dreams / be fulfilled / in every one of our breaths…”
  • by Rabbi David G. Winship
friendship, grief, loss, mourning
two people sit on a dock looking out over a lake

Remembering a Sibling for Mourner’s Kaddish or Yizkor

“The death of a sibling too is unique. It ignites our own vivid / sense of mortality.”
  • by Jeffrey Schein
family, grief, kaddish, loss, mortality, sibling
two brothers, one a child and one a toddler, hold hands and walk by a pond

The Reconstructionist Network

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Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

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Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

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Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

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Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

Read & Rite

One-stop shop for progressive Jewish books and ritual objects

Havaya Summer Programs

Overnight summer camp and teen Israel experience

Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

Professional association of Reconstructionist rabbis

Placement Office

Placement resources for rabbis and congregations

Reconstructionist Educators of North America

Professional group for people leading schools in Reconstructionist congregations

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The Reconstructionist Network

Reconstructing Judaism logo
A plain white background.
A blank white image with no visible elements or details.

Read & Rite

One-stop shop for progressive Jewish books and ritual objects

Placement Office

Placement resources for rabbis and congregations

Havaya Summer Programs

Overnight summer camp and teen Israel experience

Reconstructionist Educators of North America

Professional group for people leading schools in Reconstructionist congregations

Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

Professional association of Reconstructionist rabbis