Honoring Loved Ones Through Jewish Time
The annual anniversary of a person’s death (Yahrzeit) is observed according to the Hebrew calendar—not the secular one. Because the Hebrew calendar is lunar, the date shifts each year on the Gregorian calendar. This is to say, Gregorian dates stay the same year after year, making them easy to recall. But in Jewish tradition, we don’t return each year to a fixed number, but to the Hebrew date—the exact moment in Jewish time when their soul left this world.
A meaningful Hebrew word for this idea is appointed time (Mo’ed), a sacred moment set aside for reflection or connection.
This is why we create and share the Sinai Memorial Jewish calendar each year with J. The Jewish News of Northern California. It helps families locate their loved one’s Mo’ed, offering clarity on when an annual anniversary of a person’s death (Yahrzeit), falls, which customs may be observed, and how to align remembrance with Jewish tradition. It also gently encourages reflection as each new Jewish month arrives.
