The annual anniversary of the death of a person is called the Yarzheit and is traditionally observed based on the Hebrew calendar. Chesed v’Emet sends a reminder in the mail a few weeks before the Yarzheit. The Yarzheit is observed by lighting a twenty-four hour candle the evening before the day of the Yarzheit. Most people recite the Kaddish and take […]

Shloshim, which means thirty in Hebrew, are the thirty days following the burial, with the day of the burial counting as the first day. Usually then, Shiva is the first seven days of Shloshim. As with Shiva, some festivals affect the Shloshim period and your rabbi will advise you as to how a festival impacts your particular situation. At the conclusion […]

Shiva means seven and is the period of mourning immediately following the burial. The day of burial counts as the first day of Shiva, and continues seven days. Although no public mourning is observed on Shabbat, the Sabbath and Holidays count in the seven days. Many festivals affect the observance Shiva and your rabbi will be best qualified to explain […]

There are many customs and traditions, many based on superstition, that surround the return from the cemetery. Because many of these are just that, customs, it is best to discuss these with your rabbi. Some of the customs Jewish people observe are: covering the mirrors in the house of mourning, having a pitcher of water […]

The Tradition is that the Kaddish prayer is not recited until after the casket has been lowered and the grave filled. Dating back to Biblical times, the preference for Jewish people has been earth burial and that custom remains strong today. In some parts of the country, above ground mausoleum entombments are popular. Families who […]

Respect is always shown to the deceased as well as towards the mourners. This is one of the reasons why Traditional Jewish funerals are held so soon after death. It is more respectful to inter the body in a reasonable amount of time, rather than having an unnecessary delay. Of course, waiting for relatives to […]

Immediately following a death, the deceased should not, according to Tradition, be left unattended. A Shomer, or watchman, stays with the deceased from the time of death until the funeral and burial. It is appropriate for members of the family to stay with the deceased and the custom in many communities is for the family to […]