Shiva
The Latest
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Culture Why Jews bury books like they bury the dead
Every year, a rabbi gathers with his congregation to bury torn prayer books and worn-out Torah scrolls. It’s a quiet ritual — but one that carries the full weight of Jewish reverence for the sacred
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Culture Should Diaspora Jews be buried in Israel? A rabbi responds
The biblical Abraham and Joseph offer inspiration — as does a mystical tradition
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Fast Forward 38% of American Jews believe in life after death, study finds
About half of American Jews, and nearly two-thirds of Israeli Jews, said animals can have spirits
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Culture What a lion, a rabbi, and a dog taught me about grief
Americans have long mourned their animals. Judaism doesn’t give us a script — so we write our own
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Culture Why are Jews buried in a plain pine coffin?
A rabbi writes that Judaism sees the simple pine box as the great equalizer
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Culture What should a mourner do while sitting shiva? A rabbi offers 4 suggestions
In between visits from family and friends, mourners have lots of time to reflect on healing, and how they want to lead the rest of their life
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News They met at synagogue in 1961. They were buried together at Arlington National Cemetery in 2025. This is their story.
They died two weeks apart and their military funeral was months in the making
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Culture What’s the best thing to say to a mourner? A rabbi responds
At a house of shiva, listening and being present can be more important than talking
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News Why Josh Shapiro’s memoir could complicate a presidential run
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Antisemitism Decoded How an ‘all-American boy’ became a Mississippi synagogue arson suspect
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Opinion As with Cain and Abel, the blood of our brother Alex Pretti is crying out from the ground
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