Around this time each year, I delight in the “spring awakening” as Brooklyn explodes with blossoms on tree-lined streets. But while it would seem I should feel lighter, my spirit feels heavy – grief is present as I remember the Passovers of yore with my mom and dad, now passed on.
I believe the ancients understood how these major holy moments of gathering, whether a harvest festival or communal feast, could be accompanied with both joyous reunion and deep loss as we notice who is missing from the table. They developed a ritual for these times called Yizkor – Remember, which includes psalms, liturgy, and moments to share your loved one’s name.
Lab/Shul invites folks to an inclusive gathering for all who wish to remember a lost loved one – ReCollect. Join us this Wednesday evening 4/12, in person or online, as we offer grief support for those in active mourning, experiencing loss and/or observing a yahrzeit. Whether experiencing a recent loss, remembering a loved one who passed away long ago, or showing up to support the community you are welcome in this caring circle. Learn more here.
I invited one of our Lab/Shul longtime partners, and Kaddish Club Circle Holder Jennifer Bleyer to share how she and other sacred volunteers partner with Lab/Shul to hold the community in moments like this.
Among Jewish mourning rituals, Yizkor doesn’t always figure as prominently as Shiva and Kaddish, but I’ve found it to be nourishing in its own special way as I mourned my father and now, this year, my mother. Why does Yizkor—and ReCollect, Lab/Shul’s reimagining of it –—feel so special? Maybe because it’s tied to major holidays when you’re more likely to slow down and really feel who is not here but who used to be here with you. Maybe it’s that it appears literally when the seasons are changing, reminding you of the ultimate reality that explains your own unfathomable loss: that all things change. Maybe it’s just the opportunity to go a little deeper in remembrance and connection to your loved ones in the company of others who have experienced profound loss, and to feel less alone in that state. For me, it’s all of these things, and this is why I invite you to join me for ReCollect this week in person in NYC and online.
Thank you, Jennifer, and the other Kaddish Club Circle Holders (Sandi DuBowski, Lori Roth Gale, Dina Friedman, and Joyce Zinbarg Rosenthal) for holding the community in the full spectrum of life experiences.
May all our loved ones memories be a blessing – zichronam livracha.
Naomi Less
Co-Founder, Ritual Leader and Associate Director
