Coping With the Death of a Child
Comfort for grieving parents
Losing a Child - It's Easy to Cry When I Know What I've Lost When losing a child, it's easy to cry. Photo by Tom Pumford on Unsplash Unfortunately, the Jewish people are still without the Holy Temple. Like the yahrzeit of my child, the Three Weeks and the Ninth of Av come around every year. It's easy... Continue Reading →
This year is my son's 6th yahrzeit. I can't believe so many years have gone by. I remember the day he passed; seems like yesterday. It's winter now, and the cemetery grounds are covered under a blanket of pristine, white snow. Winter has a way of muting sharp edges—of trees, of stones, of grief. And... Continue Reading →
For the first few years after my son Jacob passed away, it was difficult for me to look at his picture or touch the few things he left behind. The wallet, the souvenirs from school trips, school yearbooks, the knick-knacks from his vacations, the Mother's Day and birthday gifts he gave me. All this was... Continue Reading →
I was thinking about my child more than usual recently. Not having enough distractions keeping me busy, I thought of Jacob. Five years after his passing, the tears still flowed. That nagging question keeps coming back: How can you mend a broken heart after losing a child? Will I ever live a normal life? I... Continue Reading →
Hi son, we haven't spoken in a while. First, let's catch up on what we've been doing. We Missed You On Chanukah Jacob's football Chanukah menorah, gifted to him when he was four years old We spent Shabbat Chanukah with your brothers and their families. It was very nice, and it was like the whole... Continue Reading →
A good friend of our family, Murray Friedman, recently passed away at 92 years of age. He was in good health until the end, when G-d called his soul back to Heaven. How do I compare Murray’s life to the life of my son Jacob? Murray had a long life, 92 years, in which he... Continue Reading →
Life Is Like The Broken Matzah of the Afikoman I heard an inspiring teaching by Rabbi Benzion Twerski of Milwaukee about the Passover afikoman. Even though Passover has come and gone for this year, I wanted to share this insight because it says something very powerful about how we view life. What Does the Word... Continue Reading →
Will My Departed Child Come Back? My previous post, Life in the Afterlife, talks about living a life in the spiritual world after death. Now we discuss the final step of the soul’s journey - resurrection and returning to this physical world. After we've passed on, will we live again? Will we be reunited with... 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 →
My Son's Sudden Death Left Me Grief Stricken and Confused My emotional and intellectual struggle with child loss began four months ago when my dear son of twenty four years suddenly died from a heart condition no one knew he had. A kind, sweet young man, Jacob was a good son, brother, uncle, and friend to those who... Continue Reading →
Coping With the Death of a Child 