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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

“All that remains to me / of my family’s life in Ukraine… / are four silver kiddush cups…”
a lit candle glows against a dark background
A poem to mourn the losses of life to AIDS
disco ball in dark room
“12 months of mourning, / Travelling, conjoined, / On our continuing / Separate ways.”
dark water with bubbles of light
Prayer for transferring a deceased body for the process of “natural organic reduction,” also known as “human composting”
small tree shown far away in bright green field with blue sky and clouds
“Any ‘I love you’ / Like water, uncontained / Can have no form.”
woman standing in a canyon stream facing a waterfall
“what I really need to work on is letting in”
white hand holding lit candle in small glass jar
“For the first time / I will miss / The Hanukkah lights”
nine candles lit against black background
“Teach us to spin apart the light in this dark.”
person holding lit tea light candle near rows of other lit tea lights
“because you breathed / because you dreamed”
coral colored stone with the word remember on it with line of stones in the background in various shades of coral and beige
“i am the rock that burst open”
headstone with hebrew writing and stones on top

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

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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