Agency Highlights

Union Bank Supports JFS San Diego's Ways to Work

  

Aging Often Triggers Trauma for Holocaust Survivors

  

JFS Colorado Receives $40,000 Season to Share Grant Through the Denver Post Charities, a McCormick Foundation Fund

  

JFS Colorado Provides Life-Changing Services

  

A few days ago, I stood in shul to say Kaddish for my mother, who died 37 years ago. It is sometimes difficult for me to grasp how so many years could have passed, for many of my memories of her still remain vivid today. But, there is no denying that my mother never had the opportunity to know any of her grandchildren or celebrate with them on countless happy occasions, or comfort them through their spills and illnesses. And, I never truly had an "adult" relationship with my mother and often wonder what that would have been like.

In Judaism, our Mourner's Prayer does not mention death or consider the memory of the person we mourn. Instead, the prayer is one of praise for God. When I say the words of the Kaddish, it helps me to make a connection between this world and the next, a connection that strengthens my attachment to the person I mourn. Most importantly, I feel that the Mourner's Kaddish is an opportunity to enhance my life by remembering someone so deeply loved.

Much of the practice of Judaism is a communal experience. We say Kaddish in the company of others for a sense of comfort and support, and so we can continue to have the deceased be part of our community. The daily work of our Jewish family service agencies ensures that those who may be feeling most isolated or excluded from their communities are given a connection that enhances their lives. It is holy work.

Shabbat Shalom.