Saying Kaddish

Kaddish is an ancient Jewish prayer that mourners recite in honor of close family members, during a bereavement period after death, and thereafter on the yahrzeit (anniversary) of the passing of a loved one.

Kaddish is written in Aramaic, the common language of the Jewish people at the time of the Second Temple. Kaddish is a prayer for peace, not for salvation. It does not mention death or even loss. Kaddish begins by praising God and the world that God has created.

Congregation Beth Sholom supports a daily minyan, morning and evening, so that Jewish mourners and those with a yahrzeit to observe can fulfill the mitzvah of reciting Kaddish. Although most Jewish prayers can be recited individually, the tradition since ancient times is that Kaddish can only be recited with a minyan of ten Jewish adults. At Beth Sholom we go to great lengths to assure that ten Jewish adults are present, morning and evening, so that we can welcome any member, friend, neighbor, traveler, guest . . . anyone who wishes to recite Kaddish.