Bereavement

June 18, 2013 | 10th Tamuz 5773

Coping with the Tragedy of the Boston Marathon Bombings

Prayers

How to Help

The One Fund
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino have announced the formation of The One Fund Boston, Inc. to help the people most affected by the tragic events that occurred in Boston on April 15, 2013.

Coping with the Tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut

Congregational leaders, educators, and parents may use the materials below to help in coping with the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.

How to Help

Congregation Adath Israel of Newtown, CT has posted information on their website.They recommend donations to United Way of Western CT and charities listed on EverRibbon. To donate to the family of Noah Pozner directly, visit Noah's Ark of Hope Fund. The synagogue is also accepting donations directly that will be used for "outreach to the community." Send to: Congregation Adath Israel P.O. Box 623, Newtown, CT 06470
Take Action: Support Sensible Gun Control

In the Aftermath of a Communal Tragedy

Talking to Children About Death

Birth and Death: Teach Us to Number Our Days
This complimentary sample lesson from the CHAI curriculum addresses Jewish rituals surrounding birth and death.
Helping Children Cope With Frightening News
What parents can do to aid kids in processing grief and fear in a healthy way.
NFTY Resources for Dealing with Grief and Mourning
Podcast by Dr. Wendy Mogel
Listen to Dr. Mogel's advice on talking to children about death.
Recommended Books
List of books for talking to your children about death
Talking to Children about Death-Sample Program
Example of a discussion/support group for parents and children
Talking to Children about Death: Q&A
Describing death and helping children cope by Rabbi Edythe Held Mencher LCSW

Death of a Child

Compassionate Friends-Supporting Family After a Child Dies
Grief Support After the Death of a Child
God and the Big Bump
A rabbi reflects on his child's death and what it means for his belief in God.

Jewish Mourning

Learn to recite the Mourner's Kaddish with this recording from our Mitkadem Hebrew curriculum.
Reclaiming the Mourner's Path
Mourning can be a strange and foreign land. It helps to have a map. The best map available is the one provided by the rituals of Jewish mourning.
Recommended Books on Jewish Bereavement
To Everything There Is a Season: Congregational Funeral and Cemetery Policies and Practices
A guide addressing the particular areas in which the synagogue and its clergy can provide comfort and assistance to its members during times of loss.

Chevra Kadisha

Chevra kadisha is a Caring Community program involves dealing with the issues that surround the dying process, support for those in mourning, and bereavement support. Congregations have created methods of helping one another by leading shiva minyanim when necessary, as well as programs for surviving spouses. In recent years there has been a resurgence in the development of traditional chevra kadisha groups within our congregations which prepare the deceased for burial in a customary Jewish way.

From URJ Books & Music

Where is Grandpa Dennis?
By Michelle Shapiro Abraham, illustrated by Janice Fried

With warmth and tenderness, Michelle Shapiro Abraham's moving new story book, gently teaches Jewish traditions for remembering loved ones we’ve lost, through the story of a young girl learning about her Grandpa Dennis.

Birth Is a Beginning
By Marshall Portnoy, arrangement by Andrew Heller

Cantor Marshall Portnoy, a leader in Reform Jewish music, has given a dignified text about life and death an appropriate and deeply moving setting.

A Time to Prepare (Revised Edition)
Edited by Rabbi Richard Address and the Department of Jewish Family Concerns

A Time to Prepare is both a source of information and a workbook to help consolidate and record all the information you or your loved ones will need to handle critical illness or death.

What Happens After I Die? Jewish Views of Life After Death
By Rifat Sonsino and Daniel B. Syme

Offers a wide spectrum of Jewish responses to the question of life after death. Classical answers are drawn from traditional Jewish literature.

The Book of the Jewish Life
By Jo David and Daniel B. Syme

Teach American Jewish practice in your school using the book you helped create! Topics include Birth, Jewish Education, Adulthood, Living a Jewish Life, Conversion, Marriage and Death.