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

“Time for your / soul to take flight, time for your soul / to light a new star.”
blue and purple galaxy of stars
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“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
“All that remains to me / of my family’s life in Ukraine… / are four silver kiddush cups…”
The Story That Could Heal
A poem to mourn the losses of life to AIDS
disco ball in dark room

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

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

Presence and Absence: Images of the Divine in Kabbalah

In this study of the Zohar, Rabbi Margie Jacobs will guide you in exploring the Shekhinah, the feminine, immanent, indwelling Sacred Presence, through the use of art materials and reflective writing. Four sessions starting May 7, 2024. 

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The Reconstructionist Network