Guides
Yahrzeit: Remembering a Loved One Each Year
Yahrzeit is the yearly anniversary of a death on the Hebrew calendar. Here is when to light the candle, the prayer to say, and how we can find your loved one’s dates for you.
Reviewed by Joyce E. Torchinsky, funeral director.
Yahrzeit in Brief
- Yahrzeit is the commemoration of a death by a mourner: the child, sibling, spouse, or parent of the deceased.
- The date is the Hebrew anniversary of the death, not the burial.
- Light the memorial candle after dark on the evening before, and let it burn for a full day.
- The yahrzeit prayer is the Mourner’s Kaddish.
The Yahrzeit Prayer
The yahrzeit prayer is the Mourner’s Kaddish. Mourners traditionally recite it at synagogue services on the yahrzeit, and because Kaddish is said with a minyan, a quorum of ten adults, many families attend the evening, morning or afternoon service that day. Some also ask for El Malei Rachamim, the memorial prayer, to be chanted at the synagogue or at the grave.
Kaddish does not mention death. It praises God, and saying it is an act of faith on behalf of the person you are remembering. You will find the full text of the Mourner’s Kaddish and other prayers on our Kaddish and Jewish prayers page.
Our prayer book holds the same prayers, and you can download and print it.
Lighting the Yahrzeit Candle
The memorial candle is the most familiar part of the day.
1
Light It the Evening Before
Light the candle after dark on the evening before the Hebrew anniversary, since Jewish days begin at sundown.
2
Let It Burn a Full Day
Traditional memorial candles burn about 24 to 25 hours and are allowed to go out on their own. An electric candle is a fine choice where an open flame is not safe.
3
On Shabbat, Light It First
If the anniversary falls on Shabbat, light the memorial candle before the Shabbat candles.
4
A Moment of Your Own
No blessing is required. Many people pause for a personal prayer, a Psalm, or a quiet memory.
Find Your Loved One’s Yahrzeit Date
Because the Hebrew calendar follows the moon, the yahrzeit falls on a different secular date each year. Send us your loved one’s name and date of death, and whether the death was before or after sunset, and we will calculate the dates for you. You can also use the Hebcal online calculator.
- (202) 541-1001, answered any hour, including Shabbat
- 254 Carroll St NW, Washington, DC 20012
- info@torchinsky.com
Reviewed by Joyce E. Torchinsky
Joyce E. Torchinsky is the owner and a funeral director of Torchinsky Hebrew Funeral Home, with more than 30 years in funeral service. She taught mortuary science and directed the Mortuary Science Program at CCBC Catonsville. She reviews our guides so that each custom is explained accurately and in plain words. Every family’s practice differs, so follow your rabbi’s guidance where it differs from ours. Joyce E.
Yahrzeit Prayer and Candle Questions
Convert the Hebrew date of death to this year’s secular calendar. Tell us your loved one’s date of death and whether it was before or after sunset, and we will calculate the dates for you, or use an online calculator such as Hebcal.
It is the date of death on the Hebrew calendar, not the date of burial. If the death occurred after sunset, it counts as the next Hebrew day.
The Mourner’s Kaddish, traditionally recited at synagogue with a minyan. Some families also ask for El Malei Rachamim, the memorial prayer, at the synagogue or the grave.
No blessing is required. Many people say a personal prayer or a Psalm, or simply take a quiet moment to remember.
Light the memorial candle before you light the Shabbat candles on Friday evening.
Related Guides
- Kaddish and Jewish prayers The Mourner’s Kaddish and El Malei Rachamim
- Jewish mourning traditions From the funeral to the first year
- Jewish cemeteries in Greater Washington Directions for a visit to the grave
Let Us Calculate Your Dates
Request your loved one’s dates and a Hebrew calendar, or call (202) 541-1001 with any question.