(Originally appeared July 2015 in Mixed and Matched column of the J-Weekly) Recently a woman wrote to me about her first experience with death and shiva as a Jew. Here’s what she said: I am a recent convert and a single mother. My sister died recently. When I got the news, I was paralyzed…
Read More »This is an excellent article from Kveller on how to make a difficult shiva call. Frankly, all shiva calls are difficult. You are going to the home of a mourner and sitting with their terrible grief. How to Make a Tragic Shiva Call offers eleven rules that can apply to any shiva call. As the…
Read More »Some of you know that I receive just about all of the synagogue e-newsletters. Sometimes the rabbis use that vehicle to contact their members. Not long ago I received an email from a Conservative congregation who had a recent loss. It is a useful way of illustrating some aspects of Shiva practice. The rabbi said:…
Read More »Observing death in a Jewish home In any family it is important to discuss how people will respond to a death. In an interfaith family this is particularly important because there is no shared tradition to fall back on. Here are some basics about Shiva, to help you understand the role of observing shiva and…
Read More »I think the best time to talk about death is on a summer day when dying seems preposterous and one can’t be sad because the flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping and all is right with the world. So let’s take a moment and talk about Death and Mourning while it is not at…
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