Every year, as the Days of Awe roll around again, I sit with mixed emotions – on the one hand, I love grounding myself in the cycles, the big ideas that time marches on, new moons rise, potential and hope emerge as we clean our slates and ask for forgiveness, pledging to work on our human flaws. On the other hand, as Yom Kippur approaches, I am also reminded of the cycles of life, and of loss of my loved ones who are no longer with me. Many of us, myself included, experienced deaths this pandemic year where the rituals of grieving were turned on their heads. We’ve had to be creative in the midst of chaos – knowing that rituals can be a balm to help heal. Grieving in isolation is so challenging for so many of us. Let us come together and hold each other.
Lab/Shul will be holding our Yizkor (memorial) ritual this year on September 28, 2020 from 11:30am-12:00pm EDT. You may register to attend (for free) HERE.
Our Lab/Shul ritual team invites you to share a photo, name and birth/death date of your loved one/s to be included in our Yizkor memorial ritual. We also invite you to share additional details about your loved ones so that we may support you in your grief journey and help you remember anniversaries of loved ones each year.
There is a simple form you can complete HERE which will upload a photo of your loved one (Quick disclaimer: If you would like to share a second name and photo, you will be given the option to submit a second, additional form. We appreciate your patience with this, as we work behind the scenes to organize everyone’s information).
THE LAST DATE TO SUBMIT A PHOTO FOR THIS YEAR’S RITUAL IS SEPTEMBER 21.
Please know that support is here for you, not just on Yom Kippur, but all year long. We are grateful that our Joan Zinbarg Hochberg (z”l) and Benson Zinbarg (z”l) Kaddish Fund enables us to create virtual spaces weekly and monthly for mourners and those who want to support them. If you’d like to share this information with someone or attend yourself to remember a loved one or support community who are saying the Kaddish, the memorial prayer, we meet every Thursday at 12pm Eastern for a Virtual Kaddish Call. And you can sign up for the Kaddish Club email list to receive information on future gatherings – email me, Naomi Less, to join.
If you’re interested in the full range of programming and pastoral access that Lab/Shul has to offer, please consider joining our Partnerhood – there is no financial obligation. Learn more about the Partnerhood benefits HERE.
On a personal note, I am so grateful for how this community has held me in my mourning and consider it a sacred gift to be in circle with those of you on this grief journey. Let’s continue to be there for each other.
Wishing you all a Good New Year/Shana Tova.
May memories be blessings. Zichronam/n liv’racha זכרונם/ן לברכה
Naomi Less and the Ritual Team
