Death & Mourning

Stone wall with Hebrew letters engraved on a rectangular plaque.

While Judaism places great emphasis on our lives in this world, death is an inevitable end for all of us. Often Jews who have been distant from traditional Jewish practice for their whole lives seek the comfort of traditional Judaism in the face of death. For mourners, whose lives are often turned upside down by death, the traditional practices of mourning can provide structure and comfort. Here you will find resources that address each aspect of the process of navigating death and mourning—from the moment of death, to the burial of the body, the tearing of clothes, the weeklong practice of shiva, and the recitation of kaddish.

 

Latest Rituals

A ceremony for going on hospice surrounded by loved ones

beaded bracelet draped over wooden box

A poem on struggling with grief

white fluff blowing off dried flower

Caring for the body before a Jewish funeral

screenshot of video, jewish mourning rituals: caring for the body

A Kaddish poem memorializing a father who had left his family

black and white photo of empty park bench

Kaddish in memory of a victim of suicide

A hand holding a siddur opened to the Kaddish

A ritual to mark the first yahrzeit, anniversary of the death of a loved one

group of stones with one in the middle that says the word Remember on it

A ceremony to remember transgender people who were killed because of structural oppression and sinat chinam, baseless hatred

tiny-floating-boats-with-candles-in-rainbow-colors

This video walks you through the mourner’s kaddish and lets you follow along

first line of mourner's kaddish in hebrew, transliterated English, and English

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

Support Ritualwell’s free offerings and events and receive a weekly guide with prompts and practices for each week of the Omer.

Ritualwell is here for you! Join us for community eventsand creative inspiration to do this spiritual work. 

Get the latest from Ritualwell

Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.

The Reconstructionist Network