For Rabbi Peter Knobel, z”l
Rabbi Peter Knobel z”l has died after suffering a massive heart attack almost two weeks ago. A gadol b’dor, a giant of this generation, a tzaddik,…
Read articlePrivate Meditation on the Death of a Beloved Public Figure
A beloved teacher, I didn’t get the chance to know Rabbi Aaron Panken z’l. Yet from everything written about him — from obituaries to Facebook posts…
Read articleTravel after an Unexpected Death
This is a prayer to be said upon traveling to attend a funeral after an unexpected death. The blank line is for inserting the name of the…
Read articleDeath of a Horrible Relative
When family members die, we strive to remember the best moments of their lives. We must also recognize the complexity of mourning when a person has…
Read articleOne is Everything
We’re surrounded by violence. Orlando. Nice. Tel Aviv. Pittsburgh. Innocents dead at the hand of terror. In Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, France, an 84-year-old priest was murdered in his…
Read articleOn Lighting a Yizkor or Yartziet Candle
This is a simple new meditation, appropriate for both Yizkor and a Yartziet, to be said before or after lighting a memorial candle. The language is…
Read articleHard Mournings
This is a prayer about the rhythm of mourning. Those first days – perhaps months or more – are often reminders of sorrow, emptiness and loneliness,…
Read articleChukat: Living Waters
In Chukat, this week’s parasha, the prophet Miriam dies. After she’s buried, the scene abruptly shifts to the lack of water in the wilderness. We’re left…
Read articlePassing of a Beloved Pet
When a beloved pet passes away, many of us struggle with the loss of a dear, loving presence, the loss of companionship and a true friend.…
Read articleAfter an Accidental Death: A Yizkor Prayer
This is another in a series of focused yizkor prayers to help acknowledge particular circumstances surrounding the death of a loved one, such as: “In Memory…
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