This article explores the origins and meaning of the period of Sefirat Ha-omer, a time associated with mourning and restrictions in Jewish practice.

This text emphasizes the unique challenges faced by widows and widowers in the Jewish community.

This article features personal narratives from three individuals who have experienced widowhood in the Orthodox Jewish community.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, Mirlana Morris discusses the loss of her son, Donny, and how she chooses to perpetuate his memory.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, Mirlana Morris discusses the loss of her son, Donny, in the Meron tragedy and how she chooses to live a life of emunah (faith) rather than being angry with God.

In this discussion, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi delve into the effectiveness of Tisha B'Av, the commemorative day for the destruction of the two Temples and the exile from Israel.

After experiencing loss and confronting the traditional Jewish mourning practice of saying Kaddish for a deceased family member, the author reflects on her journey of redefining mourning with the help of Rabbi Nevins.

Mayim Bialik, known for her roles in sitcoms, neuroscience Ph. D., parenting books author, and observant Jew, discussed her experience mourning her father by saying Kaddish while managing work, parenting during COVID, and directing a film on the Unorthodox podcast by Tablet.

Children are often more resilient than adults give them credit for.

The Jewish tradition of shiva, a week-long period of mourning following the funeral of a first-degree relative, has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The author reflects on the significance of Shabbat dinner in their childhood, which became less important after their father's death.

This personal essay explores the author's relationship with her father and his homemade hummus as he battles stage 3 lung cancer.

In this podcast sponsored by Rabbi Ari Senter and his father, the discussion revolves around the significance of mourning on Tisha B'Av and the difficulty in connecting to this day of national tragedy.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, Rabbi Josh Grajower discusses the loss of his wife and how it relates to the mourning experienced on Tisha B'Av.

The author explores the prohibition of planting during the Nine Days and its significance in mourning the destruction of the Temples.

The author reflects on a family tradition of cutting and throwing away the shoes of deceased relatives.

During the Nine Days, when we mourn the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple) leading up to Tishah B'Av, refraining from eating meat serves as a reminder of the meat sacrifices that can no longer be made.

During the challenging time of mourning her parents, the author found solace and connection through participating in a daily Zoom minyan for Kaddish recitation at her Reconstructionist synagogue.

This article reflects on the loss of significant figures in the Jewish community and beyond in 2020, drawing on the poem "When Great Trees Fall" by Maya Angelou.

The author shares her personal experience of holding a Zoom shiva following her mother's death due to complications from COVID-19.

In this article, the author explores the connection between Torah study and mourning in Jewish tradition.

The author suggests that the traditional customs of Sefirah, the period between Pesach and Shavuot, are not about mourning Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 students who died in a pandemic but rather about reliving the quarantine-like effects of that mass illness.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the author reflects on their experience attending virtual mourning rituals after a friend's mother's passing, unable to physically attend the funeral and shiva.

Erin Davis, a renowned radio personality in Toronto, experienced a profound tragedy when her 24-year-old daughter, Lauren, passed away, leaving behind a young child and husband.

A year after the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, the Jewish community reflects on the tragedy and the ongoing threat of anti-Semitism.