Tag
Death
20 articles
Jewish Funeral and Burial Customs: Honoring the Dead
Jewish funeral customs — from tahara and tachrichim to burial, kaddish, and shmirah — reflect a profound theology of dignity, equality, and community care.
Sitting Shiva: The Jewish Practice of Mourning
Shiva — the seven-day Jewish mourning period — transforms a home into a sanctuary of grief, where community gathers to comfort the bereaved with presence, prayer, and food.
Do Jews Believe in Heaven and Hell? Jewish Views on the Afterlife
Judaism's relationship with the afterlife is complicated — there are concepts of heaven and hell, but they look nothing like the Christian versions, and the emphasis is always on this life.
Attending a Jewish Funeral: What to Expect and How to Show Respect
A respectful guide for attending a Jewish funeral — no flowers, bring food instead, and know that 'may their memory be a blessing' means more than 'sorry for your loss.'
Why Jews Cover Mirrors in Mourning
Mirrors are covered during shiva to shift focus from physical appearance to spiritual reflection, ensuring mourners concentrate on grief rather than vanity.
What Is Shiva? A Complete Guide to Jewish Mourning
Shiva is the seven-day mourning period observed after the burial of a close relative. Here is everything you need to know — what happens, what to bring, what to say, and what not to say.
Jewish Condolences: What to Say, What Not to Say, and How to Comfort
Knowing what to say when someone is grieving is hard. Jewish tradition offers specific phrases, clear guidance, and a surprisingly liberating rule: sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all.
Parashat Chukat: The Red Heifer, Miriam's Death, and Moses Strikes the Rock
Parashat Chukat contains the mysterious red heifer ritual, the deaths of Miriam and Aaron, and the fateful moment when Moses strikes the rock — costing him entry to the Promised Land.
How to Make a Shiva Call
Making a shiva call — visiting a mourning family — is one of Judaism's most important mitzvot. This guide explains what to expect, what to say, and how to bring genuine comfort.
How to Arrange a Jewish Funeral
A practical guide to arranging a Jewish funeral — from the immediate steps after death through burial, covering traditions, logistics, and what to expect.
Jewish Approaches to Grief and Mourning
Judaism's structured approach to grief — from the shock of death through aninut, shiva, shloshim, and the year of mourning — is one of the tradition's most profound gifts. Here is how Jewish mourning works and why it heals.
Jewish Views on Death and Dying: A Sacred Passage
Judaism approaches death not with denial but with honesty, ritual, and profound respect — offering the dying a chance to make peace and the living a structured path through grief.
Jewish Views on Cremation: Tradition, Theology, and Modern Choices
Judaism has traditionally forbidden cremation based on resurrection theology and respect for the body. Reform Judaism now permits it, while Orthodox authorities maintain the prohibition. The growing green burial movement offers alternatives.
Judaism on Aging and Mortality: Growing Old as a Blessing
Judaism views aging not as decline but as accumulation — of wisdom, experience, and spiritual depth. The tradition honors elders, accepts death with dignity, and teaches that 'may you live to 120' is both a blessing and a philosophy.
Jewish Mourning: The Complete Guide from Death to Yahrzeit
Judaism provides the world's most structured system for grief — from the moment of death through aninut, funeral, shiva, shloshim, the year of mourning, and yahrzeit. This complete guide covers every stage.
Famous Jewish Cemeteries: Sacred Ground Around the World
Jewish cemeteries are sacred places that tell the story of communities across millennia — from the 3,000-year-old Mount of Olives to the layered graves of Prague's Old Jewish Cemetery.
Chevra Kadisha: The Sacred Society That Cares for the Dead
The Chevra Kadisha — 'Holy Society' — is the volunteer group that prepares Jewish bodies for burial through ritual washing (tahara) and dressing in shrouds. Explore the history, practices, and profound dignity of Judaism's most selfless act of kindness.
The Ethical Will (Tzava'ah): A Jewish Legacy of Values
The ethical will — tzava'ah in Hebrew — is a Jewish tradition of writing a letter to one's descendants conveying values, blessings, and life lessons. Unlike a legal will that distributes property, an ethical will transmits wisdom. Explore its history, famous examples, and how to write one.
Starting a Chevra Kadisha: A Guide to Sacred Burial Societies
A practical guide to founding and running a Chevra Kadisha (Jewish burial society), covering the taharah process, recruitment, training, emotional support, and organizational structure.
El Maleh Rachamim: The Jewish Prayer for the Departed
El Maleh Rachamim — 'God, Full of Compassion' — is one of Judaism's most powerful memorial prayers. Chanted in a haunting melody, it asks God to shelter the souls of the departed beneath the wings of the Divine Presence.