As Jack Riemer demonstrates in this collection of Jewish resources for mourning and healing, the Jewish tradition has much to offer those who seek its help in time of need. Here are personal as well as practical writings by contemporary authors about the Shivah period, Kaddish, Yizkor, Yahrzeit, and less familiar practices to honor the dead and comfort the living. Some writers describe new rituals that were created to fill special needs. Others raise questions about the tradition: Do Jews believe in an afterlife? How do we mourn the stillborn child? Should we always strive to prolong life? Reflections on these and other issues related to death and dying make this an indispensable resource for coping with some of life's most difficult and sacred moments.
About Jack Riemer
Jack Riemer is the rabbi of Congregation Beth Tikvah in West Boca Raton, Florida.
"This book takes us inside the grieving human soul and lets us experience and understand it." —Harold S. Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People
"An exceptionally important book for everyone who has to deal with issues of death and mourning—in other words, every one of us." —Joseph Telushkin, author of Jewish Literacy
Jewish Insights on Death and Mourning by Jack Riemer