Coping With the Death of a Child
Comfort for grieving parents
Sometimes I find myself speaking to another parent who recently experienced the loss of a child. I lost my child five years ago, but how do I comfort someone whose loss is very fresh? What do I say to another grieving parent? Different Emotional Dynamics of Child Loss First, let's look at the different emotional... Continue Reading →
The Jewish calendar mirrors life with ups and downs. A particularly challenging period for the Jewish community is the final two weeks of the month of Tammuz and the initial week of Av. This time period is known as 'the three weeks' during which our people have experienced numerous tragedies, including the devastating loss of... Continue Reading →
Shabbat is a beautiful day, an island in time, in which I relax and connect with G-d. I enjoy the special foods, prayers, and having time to learn. I like preparing for Shabbat. I enjoy the smell of a hot crockpot filled with cholent on Friday afternoon. However, Shabbat is also emotionally hard for me.... Continue Reading →
Bereaved Parents Have Different Needs For Different Situations Everyone is different as to how, when, and if, they will accept comfort over losing a child. The how, where, and when of each loss is different for each situation. A parent mourning the death of a child after a long illness may require a different sort... Continue Reading →
A New Chapter In Grief And Mourning I’m in the middle of the second year of my son’s passing. Until now, I thought about Jacob constantly. From the time I awoke in the morning until the time I went to bed at night, my thoughts were on him. Now, for some reason, I don’t think... Continue Reading →
Some Day, One Day (Inspired by the lyrics from the song One Day by Matisyahu) Sometimes in my tears I drownBut I pray it doesn’t get me downSo when negativity surroundsI know some day it'll all turn around because All my life I've been waiting forI've been praying forMashiach to come and stayThere’ll be no... Continue Reading →
What Exactly is the Afterlife and What Does My Child Do There? A question parents often ask after the death of a child is 'Where is my child now? What's my child doing? Does my child have a life in Heaven?' One of the basic tenets of Judaism is belief in an afterlife. In brief,... Continue Reading →
I'm Supposed to be Happy, But I'm Crying ‘Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.’ This is one of the blessings we recite on the first night of Chanukah and my son Jacob is not with us. G-d... Continue Reading →
How Many Children Do I Have After My Son Died? I’m a firm believer in the Boy Scout motto ‘Be Prepared’. I sometimes think about various scenarios and wonder how I would respond. Now, I don’t often meet new people. And now, after losing my child, I'm a bit of a recluse. But if I... Continue Reading →
After Losing My Child, I Have to Ask This Painful Question About Death and Dying I never thought about death so much until my son died. Death. The word invokes something bad and evil. It’s a word that's not easily defined. It’s something no one wants to discuss. However, when we do think about death... Continue Reading →
Celebrating Shabbat With My Son Before Child Loss We had a pleasant and happy family Shabbat table before my son passed away. Before I lost my child, the Friday night Shabbat meal was always a special time for our family. When the kids were small, we looked forward to discussing the Torah portion of the... Continue Reading →
Understanding Child Loss is Impossible for a Parent Who Has Never Experienced It After I lost my son, during the week of shiva people were coming to our home saying ‘May G-d comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem’. These are the traditional words of consolation said to Jewish mourners. But I would... Continue Reading →
Coping With the Death of a Child 