Mourn

The Mourner During Aninut

The earliest phase of mourning, aninut, which occurs between death and burial, applies to immediate family members.

Development and History of Kaddish

The Kaddish originated as an expression of praise to God following a learned discourse.

Helping Children of Different Ages Cope with a Death

Adults help children most when they express their own sorrow and respond to questions in a truthful, yet age-appropriate way.

Kaddish Speaks to Mourners

The Kaddish responds to three questions: Is there a God? Why do people die? What is the meaning of life?

Filling the Grave

Shoveling dirt onto the coffin is the family's final ritual act of honoring the dead.

Collective Memory Today

Recent historical events have lead to new archetypes.

Non-Fixed Fast Days

Judaism has communal fasts that are not on the yearly calendar and numerous occasions when individuals may choose to fast.

The Fast of the First Born

This pre-Passover fast applies to a select few.

The Messianic Society: A Jewish Utopia

In Jewish sources, the ideal Jewish society will be situated in Israel and ushered in by catastrophic events.

Zionist Utopias

Early Zionist thinkers envisioned, in great detail, the perfect human--and Jewish--society.

When Death Occurs

At death, several gestures indicate respect for the deceased as well as acceptance of the reality of death.

The Orphan’s Kaddish

Kaddish Yatom, an Aramaic prayer glorifying God, is recited by mourners.