Sitting Shiva

How Not to Comfort Mourners

The worst things to say to someone who is grieving.

Ending Shiva

Getting up and walking around the block marks the end of a week of mourning.

Meal of Consolation (Seudat Havra’ah)

The ritual meal after a Jewish funeral.

Burial and Mourning

An overview of Jewish death and mourning practices.

Role of the Shiva Minyan

The daily prayer services in the mourner's home offer community and connection to those facing devastating loss.

Shiva, the First Seven Days of Mourning

Shiva is observed in the home as an intensive mourning period for close relatives.

A Psychological Interpretation of the Laws of Mourning

The actions required of mourners following the death of close relatives help them to confront the reality of the death, to work through feelings of ambivalence, and to express grief and anger.

Spiritual Medicine

Jewish sages decided that intense mourning time should be seven days only.

When A Friend Dies

On extending Jewish mourning rituals to non-traditional mourners.

Falling into Community

In Jewish tradition, sitting shiva is a trust fall.

I’m Too Broken to Write This Blog

Rarely have I been so deeply affected, so deeply wounded inside, so utterly shattered.

A Tale of Two Tragedies

Israel is the most uplifting place in the world, and on my trip there last week I felt the usual ...