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

Eternal Rest, Eternal Peace

“We do not disappear into nothingness”

grief, mourning, yizkor

Sunbeams shining through fluffy clouds against a blue sky.

Virtual Memory Circle: For Those Who Cannot Gather for a Funeral or Shiva

Smooth stone with Remember engraved, surrounded by a line of small stones on a wooden surface.

Mourners’ Kaddish: A Poetic Interpretation

A person in a white shirt and shorts stands in a lush forest, looking up at tall trees.

Fault Lines: For The Ones Who Need Healing

Silhouette of a person sitting on grass, gazing at a vibrant sunset with clouds in the sky.

Mourners Kaddish After a Mass Murder

grief, gun violence, guns, mass shooting

A man with glasses comforting a person in a black shirt, standing in front of a red door.

Remembering the Organ Donor

healing, yahrzeit

A lit memorial candle in a ceramic holder with Hebrew letters on a table.

Sitting/Standing: Shiva After Anti-Semitic Terrorist Attack

gun violence, guns, mass shooting, terrorism

A person with chin on hand appears deep in thought, set against a blurred background.

Devotional #1: Invoking Departed Souls

grief, mourning

Person meditating on a large rock in a tranquil forest setting, surrounded by trees and natural greenery.

Everything Is But a Moment: A Meditation on Kohelet

meditation, megillah, mourning, welcoming

Person meditating with hands in prayer pose, eyes closed, in a dimly lit yoga class.

Prayer for the Shabbat after Pittsburgh

grief, gun violence, guns, mass shooting, Pittsburgh, violence

Two people hugging each other tightly in a room, both with eyes closed.