Sign In Forgot Password

Lifecycle Events at Rodfei Zedek

Congregation Rodfei Zedek is here to provide spirituality, meaning, connection, and support through life’s milestones that are both joyous and sorrowful. Allow our clergy to work with you to honor the birth or coming of age of a child, marriage, divorce, death, and other transformational moments. Make an appointment to speak to the clergy regarding your lifecylce event by reaching out to our Director of Visioning and Engagement at dve@rodfei.org. 

The Memorial Prayer

Enduring Memorials
Funeral, Cemetery, and Shiva Arrangements

The mitzvah of saying Kaddish for a family member may be fulfillYahrzeit candleed…

  • at the Daily Minyan throughout the period of mourning following a death,
  • annually on the anniversary of the passing (yahrzeit), and
  • at Yizkor Memorial Services during Yom Kippur and the Festivals of Shemini Atzeret, Pesach, and Shavuot.

Enduring Memorials

Honor the memory of your beloved departed by with a contribution in support of Rodfei Zedek's educational and religious programs: 

Memorial Endowments.  Create a memorial endowment fund to 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. 

Memorial Plaques. Purchase a memorial plaque in  memory of your departed loved ones. These simple, elegant plaques are displayed chronologically by yahrzeit month on the beautiful memorial wall overlooking the Mandelbaum Atrium. Each one includes the name of the departed as well as his/her yahrzeit dates according to both the secular and Hebrew calendars. Yahrzeits are also maintained in our records so that the families are notified of the date every year. The yahrzeit is announced from the bimah at the Shabbat service immediately preceding the yahrzeit date and on the actual day during our morning minyan. At both Shabbat services and the yahrzeit, the Congregation says Kaddish, the memorial prayer, with you or on your behalf. Each name also appears in the annual memorial booklet which is distributed at Yizkor services throughout the year beginning with Yom Kippur. The cost of a memorial plaque is $600.

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. The Book of Life contains the names of the departed as well as memorial prayers for your continued use throughout the year. Permanent inscription in the congregation's Book of Life, which appears in the annual memorial booklet, without the purchase of a memorial plaque can be arranged for a contribution of $180. An annual listing in the memorial booklet, for one year, is provided for a contribution of $36 per name per year. Renewals must be submitted to the Congregation office each year.

 

Funeral, Cemetery, and Shiva Arrangements

We offer members burial arrangements at Oak Woods Cemetery, located on the southeast side of Chicago, and at Waldheim Cemetery, just west of Chicago and south of the Eisenhower Expressway in Forest Park.

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 is an historical cemetery designed by architect Adolph Strauch and chartered in 1853. 

Both cemeteries are peaceful and green. Please call the synagogue office at 773.752.2770 for additional information should you wish to visit either of these cemeteries.

The Rabbi and office staff will help you with minyanim for shiva. Please let us know how we can help you.

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784