Tisha B’av is the day of mourning in Judaism. On this day, the ninth of Av, a series of major tragedies of the Jewish people occurred including the destruction of the first and second temples in Jerusalem. It’s a day of mourning for getting kicked out of Israel, for the destruction of Jerusalem, the Medieval […]
The Kaddish is a Jewish prayer full of praise that is recited during Jewish prayer services and associated with death and mourning. Learn more about the meaning behind the prayer with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. While to many Jews, the Kaddish is known primarily as the prayer recited at funerals, that wasn’t always the case. Back […]
What is this breaking glass thing all about? Sure it’s fun to break things, but that’s not the only reason that we break the glass at Jewish weddings! There are many different interpretations of this tradition, so we’ve collected three. This particular video about breaking the glass is part of a larger series exploring the basics of […]
Rabbi Chai was going through a difficult time trying to have a child, and as a rabbi, she knew that the Jewish ritual tradition didn’t have anything built in to support her through pregnancy loss. With a friend, she created a funeral service to mark and honor the moment. It helped her not only feel […]
What is the phrase, “Sitting Shiva” all about? Sitting Shiva (שבעה “seven”) is a week-long Jewish mourning ritual during which family, friends and neighbors traditionally gather in one home and receive visitors. In this short informational video Jana explains her experience sitting shiva and how she found comfort in many Jewish bereavement rituals when her […]
When Susan’s husband, Morton, passed away, a group at her synagogue stepped up and offered support during an incredibly difficult time. People from the Jewish community gathered together, read his poetry – his prayers – as they all remembered him together. It was a beautiful, nontraditional farewell.
Learn to say the Mourner’s Kaddish – Jewish Prayer of Mourning – with this simple karaoke style video that combines the original Aramaic, a simple transliteration and the English translation. The Kaddish is in Aramaic, not Hebrew, except for the last sentence.
Why do Jews have a ritual of breaking glass at a weddings? At one of the many Jewish weddings that Elizheva has officiated as a lay person, she and the couple examined the ritual of breaking glass. Rather than simply breaking it, they used it as a moment to talk about brokenness and the Kabbalistic […]
Marriage is about making a strong partnership.The marriage contract, or ketubah, formalizes some of these agreements, and there are many different ways to make it personal to your ceremony and relationship.
Learn about Jewish Wedding Traditions before you head off to a Jewish wedding. There’s a lot of variation that you can expect, but there are also a few basic ingredients that make up the core.
