New Guides for Navigating Grief and Mourning

When facing times of transition, loss, and challenge, people often turn to a synagogue or other Jewish institution for guidance.

When a Loved One Dies is a guide from the new pastoral care Tree of Life series that offers information, resources, and support during times of challenge, change, loss, and spiritual questioning.   

When in mourning, the world can feel very lonely. There’s an emotional hole in our hearts and, often, a tangible hole in our daily lives. Our collective experience and wisdom are powerful. Generations of our people have experienced the deepest sadness and have used Jewish tradition to find ways to heal. The result is a road map through loss that is thoughtful, realistic, and therapeutic.

Grieving is highly personal. When we lose somebody dear to us, our world is challenged, and we must reaffirm or reconstruct it. Grief means integrating the loss into our life stories so we can move forward with purpose.

Written by Rabbi Jennifer Weiner, this 8-page guide, includes a connection to Jewish texts, resources from both within and outside the Jewish community, and a ritual—such as a blessing or meditation—to offer ongoing support and coping mechanisms.

Click here to see a sample.

The 5 x 7” guides are sold in packs of 10 and are designed to fit into standard pamphlet display racks. 

These guides in the series are meant to give you outreach tools to support congregants who wish to explore what may be stigmatized issues in a comforting, spiritual, and information-based way that can also open a pathway to deeper conversation.

Also in the series:

  • Coping with Depression and Anxiety - Rabbi Nachman of Breslov once taught, “Depression can cause one to forget one's own name.” In other words, when depressed, we forget our true selves. We may not recognize the best inside ourselves and in others. However, when we are kind to ourselves, depression and anxiety can loosen their grip. Judaism, along with modern medicine, recognizes depression and anxiety as potentially debilitating conditions. Judaism also reminds us that we are deserving of love and kindness. Written by Loren Firstenberg, Psy.D
  • Caring for Your Elderly Parents
  • Jewish Views of the Afterlife
  • Understanding Gender Identity
  • Responding to Antisemitism
  • Divorce
  • Illness: Healing the Spirit
  • Miscarriage and Infertility
  • When a Family Member Comes Out as LGBTQIA+
  • …and more