Kaddish, the Memorial Prayer
Enduring Memorials | Cemeteries
The mitzvah of saying Kaddish for a family member may be fulfilled at the Daily Minyan throughout the period of mourning following a death and annually on the anniversary of the passing (yahrzeit) as well as at Yizkor Memorial Services during Yom Kippur and the Festivals:
Easily generate a list of yahrzeit dates at hebcal.com.
ENDURING MEMORIALS
The memory of our beloved departed may be honored by a deed of charity. All of the following contributions support the religious and educational programming of the synagogue and serve as dignified memorials to your loved ones. Call the CRZ office at 773.752.2770 to begin the arrangements, which must be completed by July 15 for inclusion in the 5772 Book of Life.
- Memorial Endowments
- A memorial endowment fund can be created with a contribution of $1,000 or more. The endowment funds provide income which helps educate our children, maintain our facilities and provide services to our community. By creating an endowment fund, donors enable the synagogue to carry on many programs which would otherwise be beyond the resources of the regular budget. A donor can derive great personal satisfaction from helping to ensure the perpetuation of the religious and educational programs which have made Rodfei Zedek so meaningful.
- Memorial Plaques
- Perpetuate the memory of your dear departed relatives and other loved ones by purchasing plaques in their memory. These plaques are displayed chronologically by yahrzeit month on the beautiful memorial wall overlooking the Mandelbaum Atrium. Each plaque includes the name of the departed as well as their yahrzeit dates according to both the secular and Hebrew calendars. Their yahrzeit is also recorded in our files so that each year the family is notified of the approaching date, the occasion of the yahrzeit is announced from the bimah during the immediately preceding Shabbat service and the actual yahrzeit day during our morning minyan. The congregation says the kaddish with you or on your behalf. The cost of a memorial plaque is $600. Each name will also appear in the annual memorial booklet, The Book of Life, which is distributed at Yizkor services throughout the year beginning with Yom Kippur.
- The Book of Life
- To honor the memory of a loved one who has passed away, you may have his or her name listed in our annual Book of Life, which also contains memorial prayers for your continued use throughout the year.
- Permanent inscription in the congregation's Book of Life without the purchase of a memorial plaque can be arranged for a contribution of $180.
- An annual listing in the memorial booklet only is provided for a contribution of $36 per name per year. Renewals must be submitted to the Congregation office each year–by September 9 for 5772.
CEMETERIES
Congregation Rodfei Zedek is pleased to offer its members burial arrangements at Oak Woods or Waldheim cemeteries.
We have a reserved area at Oak Woods Cemetery, located at 1035 East 67th Street in Chicago. Our area includes the Eternal Light monument, which memorializes the six million Jews that perished in World War II. Oak Woods, an historical cemetery designed by architect Adolph Strauch, was chartered in 1853. The grounds are beautifully maintained.
Among the persons buried at Oak Woods Cemetery are William Rainey Harper, first president of the University of Chicago; Clarence Darrow; Jesse Owens, Olympic track star; Enrico Fermi; Harold Washington, former Mayor of Chicago; and many of the leaders of our congregation from years past.
We can make very special arrangements for our members who wish to purchase graves at Oak Woods through the synagogue.
In addition, Congregation Rodfei Zedek has an easily accessible cemetery at Waldheim, just west of Chicago and south of the Eisenhower Expressway in Forest Park, IL.
Please call the synagogue office at 773.752.2770 for additional information should you wish to visit either of these cemeteries.