Jewish Rituals and Symbols

Sitting Shiva in the Sand

Kim Phillips

September 20, 2012

Originally posted on November 10, 2010 at Kim's Little Blog.

My mother died, and she wasn’t Jewish. I am, and sometime after I converted, it occurred to me to wonder, “Will I sit shivashivaשִׁבְעָהSeven-day mourning period that begins on the day of burial. when my mom passes away?" The word shiva comes from the Hebrew word for

Jewish Rituals and Symbols

How Should I Hang a Mezuzah? What Are the Prayers?

Cantor Michael A. Shochet

We painted the interior of our house and want to put back our mezuzah. Exactly how should it be put on the doorpost, & what prayers do we say?

Jewish Rituals and Symbols

Why Do We Bring Bread and Salt to Someone Moving Into a New Home?

Amy W. Helfman, Judaica Librarian

Bread is regarded as the most basic foodstuff. In the Talmud, a meal (requiring a blessing to be recited) is defined by the consumption of a piece of bread larger than an olive. There are several traditions that place bread and salt together

Jewish Rituals and Symbols

Passover: Customs and Rituals

There are several mitzvot (commandments) unique to Passover, which are evident in the customs and rituals of the holiday to this day: matzah (the eating of unleavened bread); maror (the eating of bitter herbs); chameitz (abstaining from eating leavened bread or other foods containing wheat, barley, rye, oats, or spelt); biur chameitz (removal of leaven from the home); and Haggadah (participation in the seder meal and telling the story).

Rosh HaShanah

Rosh HaShanah Customs, Symbols, and Traditions

There are many customs and traditions associated with Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, a time of prayer, self-reflection and repentance.