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

“Count instead the growing number of cared-fors you have lost…”
“Now, your breath is within me. / And Kaddish is like a love letter.” 
“May the Shekhinah drive you home in her taxi…”
Elliott batTzedek shares an original interpretation of the Kaddish.
Rabbi Marina Yergin shares a new ritual for mourning.
“I offer instead / my presence…”
An greeting for mourners orienting towards one another.
“We get to Kaddish, I just hit a wall…”
“Into what space do we turn on our winding ways / to the place of tears and grief?”
“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.”

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

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The Reconstructionist Network