Guides & Resources

Where to look for the Hebrew name of someone who has passed away, and why it matters for prayers and learning in their memory.

What the Mourner’s Kaddish is, why it is said for eleven months, and other ways to bring merit to a parent’s soul.

The thirty-day mourning period, how its end is marked in Israel with an azkara at the grave, and what families abroad can do.

The custom of kever avot in the month of Elul and the days before the Yamim Noraim — its source, what is said, and how families abroad can take part.

A practical guide to the customs and etiquette of visiting a Jewish grave, from the bracha on arrival to washing hands when leaving.

What happens at the setting of a headstone in Israel, when it is done, and how to arrange it when the family lives abroad.

A practical guide to the first yahrzeit: setting the date, the customs of the day, and visiting the grave when you live abroad.

The custom of learning Mishnayot for the elevation of the soul: the source, how chapters are chosen by the letters of the name, and when it is done.

The memorial prayer said at every graveside visit: what it means, when it is recited, and how families abroad can have it said in Jerusalem.

How the yahrzeit date is set by the Hebrew calendar, what to check for a passing after sunset or in Adar, and the customs observed on the yahrzeit, at home or at the grave.