At four times during the year – Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret (the end of Sukkot), the last day of Passover, and the second day of Shavuot – Yizkor is recited in the synagogue. This ritual includes the offering of individual memorial prayers, the recitation of psalms and other poems, and the chanting of El Maleh Rachamim. There is a custom that those not mourning a parent leave the sanctuary during Yizkor, although many rabbis deplore this custom as superstitious. For individuals marking a loss, it is customary to light a yahrzeit (memorial) candle on days when Yizkor is recited. Many Jews also follow the custom of giving tzedakah (charity) in memory of the deceased.
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A Tree of Memory | Article
By Arthur Gross-Schaefer
An article describing the custom of planting a tree in memory of a loved one
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Kavod Ha’em – Honoring a Foremother | Complete Ceremony
By Pat Barr z”l, Rabbi Fredi Cooper, and Lori Lefkovitz
A ceremony which adapts traditional texts and facilitates an individualized ceremony to honor those whose memory we wish to perpetuate
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Moving On: Yizkor and Life Lessons from the Book of Ruth | Article
By Lori Lefkovitz
Reflections on the transformation of mourning to affirmation
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