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

Selecting verses from Psalms on the basis of the Hebrew name of the deceased

blank notebook with flowers and pen

This traditional prayer for the dead

Hebrew letters on a textured stone plaque mounted on a brick wall.

A creative ritual to mark the end of shloshim

man standing on rocks looking at waves in water
Offering an alternative to Orthodox women who cannot or prefer not to say kaddish
woman in head covering in the forest
The spirit of this Psalm parallels the Mourner’s Kaddish and, in translation, can be recited in non-gendered God-Language.
cloudy sky with sunbeams over water

A ritual for taking off a wedding ring

wedding band on black fabric

A modern poetic interpretation

retro clock face

A ceremony following or in lieu of Mincha (afternoon service)

two hands holding black paper heart
Sounding a note of optimism
bright green wet leaves

A poem of release and acceptance

three autumn leaves

The Reconstructionist Network

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