Our Services
Request a Hebrew Calendar or Yahrzeit Date
Send us the date, and we do the rest. We will calculate your loved one’s yahrzeit on the Hebrew calendar and mail you a calendar with the dates marked for the years ahead.
What Families Receive
- Your loved one’s yahrzeit date converted to the Hebrew calendar
- A printed Hebrew calendar mailed to your home
- Yahrzeit dates for the years ahead, so you are always prepared
- Help at any hour if you have questions
What Is a Yahrzeit?
A yahrzeit is the anniversary of a death on the Hebrew calendar. The word means “time of year” in Yiddish. Each year on that date, the people closest to the person who died pause to remember them.
A yahrzeit is observed by first-degree mourners: a parent, child, sibling, or spouse, though anyone who was close to the person may choose to observe it. The first yahrzeit falls on the first anniversary of the death on the Hebrew calendar, and it is observed every year after that. Read more in our yahrzeit guide.
What We Need From You
A few details are all we need.
1
Your Name and Mailing Address
So we can mail the calendar and reach you.
2
Your Loved One's Name
As you would like it on the dates we send.
3
The Date of Death
The secular date, and whether the death was before or after sunset.
Why Choose Torchinsky?
- 98% superior ratingWashington Consumers’ Checkbook raters
- 30+ years in funeral serviceJoyce E. Torchinsky
How a Yahrzeit Is Observed
Customs vary by family and community, but most families mark the day in a few simple ways.
Light a Yahrzeit Candle
The evening before the yahrzeit, the family lights a candle that burns for 24 hours. These candles are available at most grocery stores and Judaica shops.
Say Kaddish
Many mourners attend a synagogue service to recite the Mourner’s Kaddish. Some synagogues read the names of congregants whose yahrzeit falls that week.
Visit the Grave
Some families visit the cemetery on or near the yahrzeit and recite Kel Maley Rachamim, a remembrance prayer. It is customary to leave a small stone on the monument to mark the visit.
Give Charity
A donation in the person’s memory is a meaningful way to honor them.
Why the Hebrew Calendar Matters
The Hebrew calendar follows the moon, so a yahrzeit falls on a different secular date each year. A death on October 15 one year might correspond to a yahrzeit in late September or early October the next.
The time of death matters too. A Jewish day begins at sundown, not at midnight. A death that occurred after sunset counts as the next Hebrew day, which changes the yahrzeit date by a full day. When you send us the date of death, tell us whether it was before or after sunset and we will calculate it correctly.
If you are not sure whether the death was before or after sunset, send us what you know and we will help you work it out.
FAQs About Yahrzeit Dates and the Hebrew Calendar
Send us the secular date of death and whether it was before or after sunset. We will calculate the yahrzeit date and send it to you. You can also use an online Hebrew date converter, but if you are unsure about the sunset question, call us and we will help.
A Jewish day begins at sundown, not at midnight. A death after sunset falls on the next Hebrew day, which shifts the yahrzeit date. Getting this right means you observe the yahrzeit on the correct day each year.
Yes. Tell us how many years ahead you would like, and we will include them with your calendar.
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A yahrzeit is the annual anniversary of a death, observed on the Hebrew date. Yizkor is a memorial service held four times a year at synagogue — on Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret, the last day of Passover, and the second day of Shavuot. Many families observe both.
Light the candle at sundown the evening before the yahrzeit date, because the Jewish day begins at sundown. The candle burns through the following day.
Yes. There is no requirement to be observant. Lighting a candle, visiting the grave, or simply taking a quiet moment to remember are all meaningful ways to honor someone you loved.
Request Form
Fill in your details and we will mail your calendar and yahrzeit dates.
- (202) 541-1001, answered any hour, including Shabbat
- 254 Carroll St NW, Washington, DC 20012
- info@torchinsky.com