Death & Mourning

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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

Traditional memorial prayer recited at funerals in which God is asked to gather up the soul of the departed for eternal life

This beautiful psalm is often read at funerals or memorial services

Developing a ritual for the dissolution of a home

Based on the Parasha Lech L’cha, this meditation urges the mourner to move forward in life

A tradition honoring a Torah reader at a funeral

A prayer to be said before lighting the shiva candle

A prayer to be said upon returning from the cemetery and lighting a memorial candle
A poem about the metaphorical seeds a grandfather sowed for his descendants
“Move to the front—of the line—a voice says…”
A poem describing the ritual of removing the tzitzit from a dead person’s tallit and giving them to his or her beloveds prior to burial

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