Emanuel Synagogue

The yahrzeit is the annual anniversary of the death of a person based on either the secular or Hebrew calendar. Yahrzeit is a Yiddish word meaning “a year’s time.” The day is observed by lighting a memorial candle or light the evening before the day of the yahrzeit. Often, people attend synagogue on the Shabbat close to the yahrzeit to say Kaddish for their loved one. 

Emanuel Synagogue will notify you prior to a family member’s yahrzeit, they will read your loved one’s name on the Shabbat service before the actual yahrzeit date and families often attend this service for that reason.  It is also common for a family member to have an Aliyah to the torah in honor of deceased loved one. Our tradition teaches the importance of giving tzedakah, or charity in remembrance of our loved ones. Through this act we bring honour to their memory and we perpetuate the positive values they taught us. This generally takes the form of a donation to the synagogue.

If you wish to make a yahrzeit donation in memory of a loved one, please click on one of the funds below: