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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 poem for tearing keriah (rending garments upon hearing of the death of a loved one or at the beginning of a funeral service). 

scrap of black fabric

A poetic struggle to draw close to an unknowable divine presence

person shining light onto starry sky

A prayer to comfort the mourners and acknowledge the divine image in all those who suffer 

A man comforting a woman by embracing her gently in an outdoor setting
Blessing for preparing a body for burial
hand pouring water from a glass lit by blue light

Including eggs in your seder meal to remind us of the circle of life, and that endings often mark beginnings

close up of two eggs on a flat surface

Focusing one’s attention on the wildness of death reflected on the face of the mourner.

man shaving his beard

A fresh translation of the El Maley Rakhamim to remember the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust

two long rows of yahrzeit candles some of them lit
A poem for shiva seeking comfort after a difficult loss
cup of tea with cookies and tulips

Reflection on the death of a child

An elderly man wearing glasses and a suit, standing in front of a bookshelf filled with books.

A confessional to be recited on behalf of one who is unable to speak at the end of their life

hands on top of hands

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

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Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

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