Mourning & Bereavement

Traditional Jewish mourning and bereavement practices are designed to help us bear our grief. But sometimes we need something more: a poem that captures our imagination, a creative ritual that addresses the particularity of our grief, a song that speaks to our heart. May you find a measure of comfort in your time of need.

Latest Rituals

Shiva Handwashing for Estranged Relations

An important new ritual for this sensitive shiva experience.

estrangement, family, shiva

Ceramic pitcher and bowl with blue floral design, yellow soap, and folded towel on a white surface.

L’Dor V’Dor

“How do we know what will outlive us? / We all want to be remembered our lives to count for something…”

ancestors, family, grief, mortality, stories

A starry night sky with a cosmic blend of blue and purple nebulae.

A Prayer for Losing a Friend Too Soon

“May his/her dreams / be fulfilled / in every one of our breaths…”

friendship, grief, loss, mourning

two people sit on a dock looking out over a lake

Remembering a Sibling for Mourner’s Kaddish or Yizkor

“The death of a sibling too is unique. It ignites our own vivid / sense of mortality.”

family, grief, kaddish, loss, mortality, sibling

two brothers, one a child and one a toddler, hold hands and walk by a pond

The Breaking of the Vessels

“In the ruins of the towers / we walked through daily / you would have found letters…” and added them up to find meaning

9/11, friendship, grief, kabbalah, loss

Hebrew letters in a book, covered by a menorah with a star of david shining down

Zikhron T’ruah: A Ritual for Reaching or Passing the Age of Someone Who Died

This ritual is an opportunity for someone to meaningfully mark a threshold when they reach or pass the age at which someone who was important in their life died.