End of Life

Funerals

The loss of family and friends is a narrow place through which we must all walk. The Rabbis and our NSTE family are here to help you navigate this time of grief and mourning. 

We honour the life and death of your loved one through a Jewish burial or memorial service and a heartfelt hesped (eulogy).  We help comfort mourners through the warmth of shiva prayers and recitation of your loved one’s name in shul throughout shloshim (the first thirty days following the funeral), on every yahrzeit (anniversary of death), and at Yizkor during the Jewish festivals, so that you can say kaddish.  We officiate consecration ceremonies (dedication of a grave stone, or plaque on the Jewish Niche Wall of Remembrance) at the cemetery with prayers and kaddish, providing yet another opportunity to come together in honour of our loved ones, zichronam livrachah (may their memories be for a blessing). 

In supporting you through this passage, our Rabbis work closely with the Sydney Chevra Kadisha (for burials) and Walter Carter Funerals (for cremation ceremony/memorial service), as well as other funeral homes.  

Seeking a stonemason?  While NSTE does not recommend one over another, many of our members have used  Binstock & Sons or Menucha Monuments for the engraving of a headstone. We suggest that you have the stonemason run any Hebrew wording past the Rabbi, to reduce the risk of error.

Our office maintains a supply of yahrzeit and shiva candles, though the latter are typically provided by the Chevra Kadisha at the time of the funeral. The Shiva candle, which stays lit 7 days, should be kindled upon arriving home from the funeral. The yahrzeit candle is lit on the anniversary of death each year and burns for 24 hours.  A link to the mourner's kaddish can be found here:  Note: the mourner's kaddish can also be recited for a relative who was not Jewish.

We urge you to reach out to the clergy if you are struggling with an impending or recent loss of someone dear to you, so that we can support you. 

המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון ירושלים

HaMakom yenachem et'chem b'toch sh'ar avelei Tzion v'Irushalayim
May God comfort you alongside all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem