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Death & Mourning

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

“Blessed is God, Ruler of the Universe, who created people with disabilities in Your image. / Blessed is God, who cherishes disabled lives and desires that they flourish and thrive.”
a whte-skinned woman sits in a wheelcahr and fold her hands in prayer
“Sometimes there is not /  enough space / to contain all of the grief.”
an empty bench facing a wide green lawn
“Time for your / soul to take flight, time for your soul / to light a new star.”
blue and purple galaxy of stars
Imagine that the whole world is God’s sukkah, and that we are all sheltered there.
a baby penguin stands at the feet of its parent
“I cannot tear it all down, / rip out the broken heart of it, / and be done with it.”
A person stands on the rocks, overlooking the ocean on a dark day
A complete ritual for releasing frustration and anger in nature.
woman standing in a forest clearing
A poem on the inconsistency of time passing.
roses in hazy summer sunlight
A poem to mark moments in a year of mourning.
hourglass and calendar
A poem about early moments of grief
two ducks on a lake

The Reconstructionist Network

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Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

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Join the Ritualwell community to explore rituals that will bring a sense of sacred awareness to your Thanksgiving table and into your everyday life!

Jewish practices provide us with valuable frameworks to foster awareness and joy through gratitude.

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The Reconstructionist Network