Mourning & Bereavement

people embrace in tears

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

A prayer for the year of mourning and the journey of widowhood

Close-up of dark, jagged leaves covered in raindrops, with a blurred background.
Advice for coping with the devastating loss of a child
Person sitting on a railing, looking at a calm sea during sunset, under a clear sky.

A ritual on concluding a year of saying kaddish

A person walks alone on a sun-dappled road surrounded by tall, dense trees.
An article about the power of traditional mourning practices for healing and an idea for a new ritual
Black ribbon elegantly curled on a plain white background.
An article discussing the issues around Orthodox women saying kaddish
shadow of veiled woman in a window

Preparing to say Kaddish for an abusive parent on the occasion of their yahrzeit

Wave foam gently laps against black pebbles on a beach.

A creative ritual to mark the end of shloshim

man standing on rocks looking at waves in water
Offering an alternative to Orthodox women who cannot or prefer not to say kaddish
woman in head covering in the forest
The spirit of this Psalm parallels the Mourner’s Kaddish and, in translation, can be recited in non-gendered God-Language.
cloudy sky with sunbeams over water

A ritual for taking off a wedding ring

wedding band on black fabric

The Reconstructionist Network

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Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

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Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

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