Mourning and Burial Customs: Judaism
Death & Mourning
FAQ for Jewish Funerals
Must I shovel dirt into the grave? Why is the coffin not opened for viewing at Jewish funerals? How do I let my friends know that donations to a favorite charity in memory of the deceased would be appreciated? We answer all basics about attending and planning a Jewish funeral.
Preparing for Death
Death & Mourning 101
Much attention is paid to treating the dead with respect and to comforting mourners.
Dying
Jewish tradition invites us to think about our mortality long before our own deaths.
Preparing for Death
Some hasidic rebbes taught their disciples not only how to live, but also how to die.
Ethical Wills
On the Jewish custom of leaving a written spiritual legacy for one's children.
Viddui (Confession)
Traditional and liberal possibilities for this little-known practice.
Burial
Practical Aspects
From planning, to funeral, to shiva and the year that follows.
Funeral FAQs
Addressing common questions about Jewish funeral customs.
Graveside Service
Mourners, friends, and relatives accompany the deceased to the grave and help with the burial.
Stones on Graves
What do the stones symbolize? Where does the custom come from?
Planning a Funeral
A practical guide to preparations for Jewish burial and mourning.
Shiva
Bereavement Phases
Jewish mourning customs reflect the natural course of grief and recovery following the death of a loved one.
Shiva
Shiva is observed in the home as an intensive mourning period for close relatives.
Shiva Customs
The entire physical environment of the mourner acknowledges the immediacy of death.
How To Be the World's Best Shiva Guest
Visiting a shiva requires total sensitivity to the needs of the mourner.
Ending Shiva
Getting up and walking around the block marks the end of a week of mourning.
Grieving
Death Teaches About Life
Death does not contradict life; it teaches us about the meaning of human existence.
Kaddish
Mourner's Kaddish is recited on a daily or weekly basis after the death of a close relative.
Yahrzeit
Customs to observe on the anniversary of a death.
Year of Mourning
Showing respect to one's parents, even after they die.
Jewish Tombstone Customs
All are equal in death.
How to Say the Mourner's Kaddish (Video)
Audio, Hebrew, transliteration and translation of the Aramaic prayer.
- Alternative Yizkor Prayers To Say For Abusive Parents
- The Shroud
- The Phases of Jewish Bereavement
- When a Jewish Child Dies
- The Mourner During Aninut
- Special Issues in Mourning
- Yizkor, the Memorial Service
- The Funeral, or Levaya
- The Basics of Kriah, or Tearing a Piece of Clothing
- The Tombstone, the Unveiling, and Visiting the Grave
- When Death Occurs
- Questions & Answers About Jewish Funerals
- The Graveside Service
- Eulogy, or Hesped
- Kaddish, a Memorial Prayer in Praise of God
- The Casket, or Aron
- Tahara
- Yahrzeit: Remembering on the Anniversary of a Death
- A Year of Mourning for Parents
- Sheloshim, the First 30 Days of Mourning
- Shiva, the First Seven Days of Mourning
- Writing a Will
- How to Plan a Jewish Funeral
- How To Form A New Chevra Kadisha
- Jewish Funerals: What to Expect When You Go
- Who Mourns for Whom?
- Social Action Aspects of Death and Mourning
- Helping Children of Different Ages Cope with a Death
- Stillbirth and Neonatal Death
- Suicide in Jewish Tradition and Literature
- Death and Special Issues of the Body
- Mourning Non-Jewish Loved Ones
- A Jewish Chaplain
- Viddui: The Deathbed Confession
- The Deaths Of Two Hasidic Masters
- On Being with Those Who are Dying
- Writing and Reading Ethical Wills
- Preparing for Death
- The Death Penalty in Jewish Tradition
- Death and Mourning: Sources from the Babylonian Talmud
- Themes in Death and Mourning
- Burial and Mourning: A Liberal Approach
- The Ethics of Burial and Mourning
- Jewish Attitudes Toward Death
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