Saying Mourner’s Kaddish at Evening Minyan

We say Mourner’s Kaddish to honor the deceased. It is recited collectively, serves as an affirmation of Jewish faith, and reminds us that we are not alone in our grief.

Welcome to Park Avenue

Synagogue’s Evening Minyan. We hope the following information will be helpful.

• Evening Minyan typically takes place Mondays through Thursdays at 6:00 pm in our lobby-level chapel. It is about 20 minutes long.

• We use the smaller and darker of the two prayer books on the seat shelf in front of you, Siddur Sim Shalom for Weekdays. If you are in the front row, the book will be behind you. There are also some copies at the front of the chapel.

• If helpful, the Mourner’s Kaddish is transliterated into English in the prayer book and on the back of this pamphlet.

• There are two parts to the service. The first is either a Mincha service (during daylight saving time) or a psalm reading and Mourner’s Kaddish (when it’s not daylight saving time); the second part is the Ma’ariv service (there is no break between the parts). Daylight saving time runs from the second Sunday of March until the first Sunday of November.

• There is an opportunity to say Mourner’s Kaddish twice: once before the Ma’ariv service (page 136) and once during the Ma’ariv service (page 151). Clergy will lead the prayer aloud, and those saying Kaddish will stand and recite it together. You will also have an opportunity to say your loved one’s name aloud if you choose. It is customary at PAS to say the English name and/or the Hebrew name as well as the person’s relationship to you.

If you are in mourning

It is customary to stand and recite Mourner’s Kaddish both times during Evening Minyan. Before the second Kaddish is recited, the clergy will offer you an opportunity to say your loved one’s name aloud.

If you are observing a yahrzeit (the Hebrew calendar anniversary of your loved one’s passing)

It is customary to stand and recite Mourner’s Kaddish one time at Evening Minyan. Whether you do so the first or second time the prayer is recited will depend on whether the anniversary is starting or ending with sundown.

For example, if you were observing a yahrzeit on Jan. 1, you would begin saying Mourner’s Kaddish at evening Minyan Dec. 31 (with the second Kaddish) and finish saying Kaddish at evening Minyan on Jan. 1 (with the first Kaddish).

If you are observing a yahrzeit that begins at sundown, the clergy will provide an opportunity for you to say your loved one’s name aloud before the second Mourner’s Kaddish.

If you are observing a yahrzeit that is ending at sundown, the clergy will provide an opportunity for you to say your loved one’s name aloud before the first Mourner’s Kaddish.

If there is anything else that we can do to make you feel more comfortable, please let us know.

May your loved one’s memory be for a blessing.

Mourner’s Kaddish

Mourners (including those observing yahrzeit):

Yitgadal v’yitkadash sh’mei raba, b’alma di v’ra, khi-r’utei, v’yamlikh malkhutei b’hayeikhon u-v’yomeikhon u-v’hayei d’khol beit Yisra-el, ba’agala u-vi-z’man kariv, v’imru amen.

Congregation and mourners: Y’hei sh’mei raba m’varakh l’alam u-l’almei almaya.

Mourners:

Yitbarakh v’yishtabah v’yitpa-ar v’yitromam v’yitnasei v’yit-hadar v’yit-aleh v’yit-halal sh’mei d’Kud’sha, b’rikh hu l’ela min kol birkhata v’shirata*

*Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: l’ela l’ela mi-kol birkhata v’shirata tushb’hata v’nehemata da’amiran b’alma, v’imru amen.

Y’hei sh’lama raba min sh’maya v’hayim aleinu v’al kol Yisra-el, v’imru amen.

Oseh shalom bi-m’romav, hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol Yisra-el, v’imru amen.