Death & Mourning

Home » Lifecycles » Death & Mourning » Page 21

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 ritual for taking off a wedding ring

A modern poetic interpretation

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

Sounding a note of optimism

A poem of release and acceptance

From the Jewish-Hungarian poet most widely known for “Eli, Eli”

An article describing the custom of planting a tree in memory of a loved one

A ceremony which adapts traditional texts and facilitates an individualized ceremony to honor those whose memory we wish to perpetuate

A touching view of this uniquely Jewish ritual which accords profound respect to the individual between death and burial
Reflections on the transformation of mourning to affirmation

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

Get the latest from Ritualwell

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

The Reconstructionist Network