Yom Kippur, the first of four annual Yizkor services, will soon be upon us. The Yizkor prayers are said in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and on the last day of each of the Festivals of Passover, Shavu'ot and Sukkot. In these prayers we ask G‑d to 'remember' the souls of family and friends who have passed away. Yizkor, to remember, also provides us with a special opportunity to connect with our loved ones.
We can ensure that your loved ones are indeed remembered at these 4 times.
Memory is especially powerful when the past can be an inspiration. When we remember them in our physical life, their life is not just a passive memory, but becomes active and their light eternal. For those who have passed on, they merit the continuous impact in both the physical world and the spiritual world-to-come.
For this reason part of the Yizkor service includes a pledge to tzedakah, charity, a mitzvah done on behalf of the deceased’s soul. Another mitzvah is Torah study, which our tradition teaches brings spiritual benefits to the souls in whose merit the Torah is studied.
With this in mind, we will once again be creating a Yizkor booklet including the names of our loved ones. Each name will be included for $18 (chai) and will be used to support Torah classes. You create a double mitzvah – tzedakah and Torah study – on behalf of you loved ones.
We will mention every name in the Yizkor booklet as a part of the Keil Malei prayer at each of the four Yizkor services throughout the year.
