Blog

How to Sit Shiva

Complete guide to sitting shiva — the seven-day Jewish mourning period, including rules, customs, low chairs, covered mirrors, prayers, and what to expect.

How to Speak at a Quaker Funeral

Wondering how to speak at a Quaker funeral? Learn the rules for vocal ministry — when to stand, how long to speak, and what to say during a Friends memorial meeting.

Interfaith Funeral for a Jehovah's Witness

How to coordinate a funeral when the family is split between Jehovah's Witnesses and other faiths — practical boundaries, dual-track planning, and elder negotiations.

Interfaith Jewish Funeral Guide

Planning a funeral when one spouse is Jewish and the other isn't — burial options, clergy participation, and family dynamics in interfaith households.

Jehovah's Witness Celebration of Life

Why Jehovah's Witnesses don't hold celebrations of life, and how families organize a private secular memorial alongside the official Witness service.

Jehovah's Witness Cremation: Is It Allowed?

Jehovah's Witnesses permit both cremation and burial. Here's what their doctrine actually says, how the decision affects funeral planning, and what families should know.

Jehovah's Witness Funeral Proselytizing

Why Jehovah's Witness funerals feel like recruitment events, what the S-32-E outline actually requires the speaker to say, and how families navigate it.

Jehovah's Witness Funeral Timeline

How many days after death is a Jehovah's Witness funeral? The typical 3-to-7-day timeline, what happens each day, and why the schedule is so compressed.

Jehovah's Witness Graveside Service

What happens at a Jehovah's Witness graveside service — the committal scriptures, who speaks, how long it lasts, and what attendees should expect.

Jewish Casket Requirements

What makes a casket kosher for a Jewish funeral — wood, no metal, drilled holes, and how to avoid funeral home upsells that violate halakha.

Jewish Funeral Etiquette for Non-Jews

What non-Jewish guests need to know before attending a Jewish funeral — from head coverings and flowers to what to say and what to avoid.

Jewish Funeral Program Template

What to include in a Jewish funeral program — service order, Hebrew transliterations, readings, and a printable template families can adapt.

Jewish Funeral Timeline

Step-by-step Jewish funeral timeline from the moment of death through burial within 24 hours, including what happens at each stage and who is responsible.

Jewish Graveside Service

What happens at a Jewish graveside service — the burial process, filling the grave, prayers, and the traditions behind each step.

Jewish Green Burial

Green burial aligns naturally with Jewish tradition — no embalming, simple wood caskets, direct earth return. Here's how to plan one.

How to Coordinate an LDS Funeral With a Mortuary

Working with a secular funeral home on an LDS funeral — temple clothing, body transport, scheduling with the bishop, and what to tell a funeral director unfamiliar with the faith.

LDS Funeral Open Mic and Speaking Rules

Why LDS funerals don't allow open mic tributes, who can speak, how speakers are selected, and what families can do to personalize the service within the rules.

Mourners Kaddish Transliteration

Complete Mourners Kaddish transliteration with phonetic pronunciation guide, English translation, and instructions for when and how to recite it.

Music at a Reform Jewish Funeral

Can you have music at a Jewish funeral? Reform Judaism says yes. Here's what's appropriate, what's traditional, and how to work with your cantor.