Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has suggested an alternative for mourners who are unable to recite Kaddish because they are not praying in a minyan.
The United Synagogue and other communities under the Chief Rabbi’s authority require a minyan to take place in a physical space and do not count virtual gatherings on Zoom or other digital platforms.
In a letter to rabbis and rebbetzens,Rabbi Mirvis, who himself is in mourning for his father, has suggested that mourners instead recite the Hazkarah, the Memorial Prayer for a departed person.
At present, some rabbis recite the prayer in virtual services – but Rabbi Mirvis suggests mourners or those with yahrzeit could collectively say it.
“While, for avelim (mourners), nothing is quite the same as Kaddish, the Hazkarah is an authentic Memorial Prayer, which many are familiar with,” he said.
“It has added meaning, because the name of the deceased is inserted, and it can also be recited by an avel] mourner] at home over Shabbat and Yomtov, when Zoom gatherings don’t take place."
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