Death & Mourning
The rituals surrounding death and mourning within Jewish life generally take two forms — rituals intended to show honor and respect for the deceased in the way that he or she deserves honor and respect, and rituals focused on comforting the mourners and helping them through the initial and often challenging stages of grief.
Aninut: The period between learning of a death and the actual burial is known in Hebrew as Aninut. Plans and arrangements for the funeral and beyond are made during this time. Funerals may take place at one of the local funeral homes, at graveside or at the synagogue. The funeral homes in this area are excellent at helping our TSTI families with the logistics of these plans. Please contact the Temple Office, if you would like one of our clergy to officiate at the service and/or use one of our worship spaces. We will do everything possible to accommodate your needs.
Shiva: Shiva is observed immediately following the funeral. If you would like a member of the TSTI clergy or one of our lay shiva leaders to lead a night of shiva, please schedule through the clergy office .
Mourners’ Kaddish: Your loved-one’s name will be mentioned prior to reciting Kaddish at each Erev Shabbat service for the first month after the death and thereafter during the Shabbat service closest to the Yahrzeit.
We know that each family and situation is different and, as a result, questions and needs will vary.
Please do not assume that our clergy know about an illness or death. We want to be as helpful as possible, so please contact temple right away so we can help you walk through the process.
Cemeteries
TSTI has two lovely cemeteries to serve our members. One is a small cemetery in Montclair that has been in existence since 1887 and is under supervision of the Temple Trustees. Plots are available for purchase in this memorial park setting.
There is also space available within the Beth Israel Memorial Park in Woodbridge as well as many cemeteries in the area that have been used by members of the TSTI community.
Buying a cemetery plot is often one of the last things any of us want to consider. But there is great security and peace of mind in planning for the future, knowing we can alleviate some of the stress and anguish for loved ones.
For more information, please contact the Temple Office.
Tzedakah for Lifecycle Events
Additionally, you can add a layer of tzedakah to an occasion through a meaningful gift to temple. Please consider the following worthy TSTI funds to honor a loved one’s memory. Please select from the list of funds below to donate or learn more.