Yahrzeits

Yahrzeit is a Yiddish word meaning "year's time", and refers to the Hebrew anniversary of the date of death.

Remembrance is a central theme in Jewish life, and we mark the anniversary of a death annually in a number of ways: lighting a 24 hour candle at home, reciting the Mourner’s Kaddish in synagogue, visiting the cemetery and giving charity in the name of our loved one.

While there is no formal blessing for lighting the candle, individuals may offer their own words, or recite the following:

“We give thanks for the blessing of life, of companionship, and of memory. Though our loved one is beyond our sight, we do not despair, for we sense our beloved in our hearts as a living presence. I light this Yahrzeit candle in loving memory of ___________________who has gone to his/her eternal resting place. May his/her soul be given life everlasting and may his/her memory always remain a comfort and source of inspiration.”

A Hebrew date converter will assist you in determining when a Yahrzeit falls in any given year.