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PlansAboutSupportWhat shiva, shloshim, azkara and nichum avelim mean in English.
aninut / onen
US English
Pre-burial mourning; mourner before burial
UK English
Same as US
אנינות is the period from death until burial, when the closest relatives are busy with the burial and have a distinct religious status.
אנינות is not shiva. Formal shiva begins only after the burial.
Do not call the time before the burial shiva or start the seven-day count at death.
shiv'at hakrovim
US English
The seven immediate relatives obligated to mourn
UK English
Same as US
In traditional Jewish law, שבעת הקרובים are father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister and husband or wife.
Grandparents, grandchildren, in-laws, uncles, aunts and cousins may be deeply bereaved but are not in the formal שבעת הקרובים category.
Do not assume a civil or workplace first-degree relative matches שבעת הקרובים; employment agreements and customs can define rights differently.
On the label or sign
halvaya / beit hesped
US English
Funeral; funeral procession
UK English
Same as US
הלוויה is the funeral and the act of accompanying the deceased to burial. In Israel a הלוויה often starts at a cemetery בית הספד or בית הלוויות and continues on foot to the grave.
A הלוויה looks little like a US or UK funeral home service. Many Israeli funeral halls are plain cemetery buildings or shelters, often without seating or decoration.
Do not expect a wake, a viewing, a seated chapel service or flowers at a traditional Israeli Jewish הלוויה.
On the label or sign
chevra kadisha / guf kvura
US English
Burial society; licensed burial provider
UK English
Burial society; licensed burial authority
The חברה קדישא is the local burial organization that arranges the plot, preparation, transport within its area, and burial. National Insurance generally pays basic eligible burial services directly.
A חברה קדישא is not simply a commercial funeral director. Special plots and extras can cost money.
Do not pay an intermediary before you identify the licensed חברה קדישא, and do not assume every extra is covered.
On the label or sign
tahara / tachrichim
US English
Ritual preparation; burial shrouds
UK English
Ritual washing and preparation; burial shrouds
טהרה is the ritual washing and preparation of the body, and תכריכים are the simple burial shrouds. In a standard traditional Jewish burial in Israel, the body is buried in the earth in תכריכים, not in a coffin.
No coffin does not mean no dignified preparation. Civil burial and some exceptional cases differ, and civil cemeteries can use a coffin.
Do not claim that no Israeli burial ever uses a coffin; ask the family which kind of burial it is.
kri'a
US English
Rending the mourner's garment
UK English
Same as US
קריעה is a cut and tear in the clothing of one of the seven formal mourners, made around the funeral as a sign of mourning. A burial attendant may make the first cut and ask the mourner to continue it.
קריעה is a garment ritual, not the black ribbon used in some diaspora settings. The torn garment stays visible during shiva.
Do not expect every attendee to tear clothing; קריעה is for the formal mourners.
hesped
US English
Eulogy
UK English
Eulogy; tribute
A הספד is spoken remembrance at the funeral or memorial. The family coordinates the הספדים and names the speakers.
A הספד is not reserved for a rabbi. Women and men may give a הספד and walk behind the deceased, and burial providers may not impose sex separation unless the family asks.
Do not accept a claim that women are barred from giving a הספד or accompanying the deceased.
On the label or sign
kvura ezrachit chalufit
US English
Civil or secular alternative burial
UK English
Civil or non-religious alternative burial
קבורה אזרחית חלופית is a legally recognized alternative in which a family can shape a non-Orthodox or civil ceremony. The Ministry of Religious Services keeps a list of licensed bodies, updated 15 April 2026.
קבורה אזרחית חלופית depends on location and eligibility, and is not available at every local cemetery without coordination.
Do not trust an advertiser's use of the word civil; check the official licensed-body list.
baruch dayan ha'emet
US English
Blessed is the true Judge
UK English
Same as US
בָּרוּךְ דַּיַּן הָאֱמֶת is a traditional blessing or response on hearing of a death. Close mourners say its formal form at the time of the קריעה.
בָּרוּךְ דַּיַּן הָאֱמֶת does not mean my condolences, and is not the phrase said when leaving a shiva visit.
Do not send בָּרוּךְ דַּיַּן הָאֱמֶת as if it meant sorry for your loss; use אני משתתף בצערכם for condolences.
On the label or sign
moda'at evel
US English
Death or funeral notice
UK English
Same as US
A מודעת אבל is the black-bordered public or digital notice. A מודעת אבל gives the name, the funeral time and place if issued before burial, the shiva address and often visiting and prayer hours.
A מודעת אבל is a short practical notice, not necessarily a biographical newspaper obituary.
Do not take the shiva address on a מודעת אבל as an invitation to come at any hour; use the stated visiting hours.
On the label or sign
shiva
US English
Shiva; to sit shiva
UK English
Same as US
שבעה is the first seven-day mourning period after burial. Any part of the burial day before sunset counts as day one, and the family rises on the morning of day seven.
שבעה is often shorter than seven full days of 24 hours, and שבעה is not a wake. Shabbat counts toward שבעה but public signs of mourning pause on Shabbat, and major festivals can end שבעה early.
Do not count seven full days from death; count from the burial day.
On the label or sign
beit ha'avelim / beit evel
US English
Shiva house; house of mourning
UK English
Same as US
בית האבלים is the home or temporary tent where mourners sit and receive visitors. בית האבלים is often the deceased's home but need not be.
בית האבלים is not a funeral parlor or a public institution. בית האבלים usually means the family's shiva location.
Do not go to the funeral hall for shiva; go to the בית האבלים address on the notice.
se'udat havra'a
US English
First meal of condolence after burial
UK English
First meal for mourners after burial
סעודת הבראה is the first meal the mourners eat on returning from the burial, supplied by neighbors or friends. Round foods such as eggs or lentils are common symbols.
A סעודת הבראה is not a reception for visitors, and the menu is customary, not a fixed package.
Do not ask the mourners to organize the סעודת הבראה; friends and neighbors bring it.
minhagei shiva
US English
Shiva customs: low seat, covered mirrors, non-leather shoes
UK English
Same as US
מנהגי שבעה include a low seat, covered mirrors, non-leather shoes, keeping the torn garment, and refraining from ordinary work, haircuts, laundry and public festivity.
מנהגי שבעה vary by family, health needs, denomination and community. The low chairs are for the mourners, not for visitors.
Do not judge a family by how many מנהגי שבעה they keep, and do not sit in the mourners' low chairs.
ner neshama / ner zikaron
US English
Memorial candle; yahrzeit candle
UK English
Same as US
A נר נשמה is a long-burning candle lit through shiva and again on a death anniversary and some memorial days. A seven-day candle may be used during shiva.
A נר נשמה is the candle, not the memorial ceremony and not the annual anniversary itself.
Do not call a נר נשמה a Hanukkah candle; look for the label נר נשמה on the glass.
On the label or sign
kaddish yatom / minyan
US English
Mourner's Kaddish; prayer quorum
UK English
Same as US
קדיש יתום is the Aramaic congregational prayer linked to mourners and memorials. A מנין, a prayer quorum, allows communal prayers and Kaddish in the shiva house.
The words of קדיש יתום praise God and do not mention the deceased. Orthodox practice counts ten adult Jewish men for a מנין, while Reform congregations count adult women and men.
Do not call קדיש יתום a prayer to the dead, and do not assume shiva cannot happen without a מנין.
On the label or sign
kamim mehashiva
US English
Rising from shiva; end of shiva
UK English
Same as US
On the morning of the seventh day, the mourners sit briefly and then rise, ending the shiva restrictions. Many families then visit the grave.
The family does not stay in shiva until the exact hour of the burial on day seven.
Do not plan a full day of visits on day seven; קמים מהשבעה happens in the morning.
On the label or sign
nichum avelim / bikur tanchumim
US English
Comforting mourners; shiva or condolence visit
UK English
Comforting mourners; condolence visit
ניחום אבלים is the act of being with and comforting mourners, mainly during shiva. The visitors are מנחמים and the mourners are אבלים.
A ביקור תנחומים is usually an in-person visit, so the English condolence call can mislead. Visitors let the mourner lead the talk, listen and respect silence.
Do not arrive outside the שעות ניחום אבלים or question the family about the death.
HaMakom yenachem etchem betoch she'ar avelei Tziyon viYerushalayim
US English
May the Omnipresent comfort you among the mourners of Zion
UK English
Same as US
המקום ינחם אתכם is the traditional Ashkenazi formula, normally said when leaving a shiva visit. המקום ינחם אתכם also appears at the foot of death notices.
המקום ינחם אתכם is a goodbye, not an opening greeting. A mourner does not have to reply; a nod or silence is normal.
Do not open the visit with המקום ינחם אתכם; say המקום ינחם אתכם as you leave.
min hashamayim tenuchamu
US English
May you be comforted from Heaven
UK English
Same as US
מן השמים תנוחמו is a common Sephardi and Mizrahi condolence formula, said when leaving a shiva visit.
מן השמים תנוחמו is as correct in Israel as the Ashkenazi formula; neither one is the only correct wording.
Do not present המקום ינחם as the only right phrase; מן השמים תנוחמו is equally standard.
On the label or sign
ani mishtatef / mishtatefet betza'archem
US English
I share in your sorrow; my condolences
UK English
Same as US
אני משתתף בצערכם is the standard neutral modern Hebrew condolence, suitable in secular and religious settings. A man says משתתף and a woman says משתתפת; בצערכם is plural.
אני משתתף בצערכם is a natural, standard formula in Hebrew, even though the literal English sounds odd. Another common closing wish is שלא תדעו עוד צער, may you know no more sorrow.
Do not use the masculine משתתף when a woman is speaking; a woman says משתתפת.
On the label or sign
shloshim / azkarat shloshim
US English
Shloshim; first thirty days of mourning
UK English
Same as US
שלושים is the thirty-day period counted from burial, with shiva inside it. After shiva the mourner returns to work, but reduced restrictions continue, often including haircuts and celebrations.
שלושים is not thirty days after shiva. For relatives other than a parent, formal mourning generally ends at שלושים; the אזכרת שלושים is the event at the end.
Do not add thirty days after shiva or treat שלושים as only the ceremony.
On the label or sign
azkara
US English
Memorial service or gathering
UK English
Same as US
An אזכרה is a memorial event, held after shiva, at thirty days, at the end of the first year or every year. An אזכרה may be at a cemetery, synagogue, home or other venue, with prayers, speeches or readings.
An אזכרה is not only the yahrzeit and not a funeral. A funeral is a הלוויה.
Do not translate אזכרה as funeral; read which stage the invitation names.
aliya lakever
US English
Grave visit
UK English
Same as US
עלייה לקבר means visiting the grave, often at the end of shiva, at thirty days, at the first year and on the annual anniversary. Visitors commonly place a small stone on the grave.
In עלייה לקבר, the word עלייה does not mean immigration. The grave visit and the whole אזכרה are not always the same event.
Do not translate עלייה לקבר as immigration; read the cemetery, section and time on the invitation.
On the label or sign
matzeva / gilui matzeva
US English
Headstone; headstone unveiling
UK English
Same as US
A מצבה is the permanent grave marker. Many Israeli families arrange the מצבה for שלושים, while others wait for the end of the first year.
No single nationwide unveiling date exists, and the מצבה is generally not part of the basic state-funded burial. Common inscriptions include פ״נ, here lies, and תנצב״ה, a closing memorial formula.
Do not assume US or UK unveiling timing; read the גילוי מצבה date on the invitation.
On the label or sign
shnat evel
US English
First year of mourning
UK English
Same as US
שנת אבל is the traditional extended mourning for a parent, lasting twelve Hebrew months. Mourner's Kaddish is commonly said for eleven months.
Twelve months of mourning is not twelve months of daily Kaddish. In a Hebrew leap year, the restrictions still end after twelve months.
Do not assume a year always means the same Gregorian date; check the Hebrew date.
On the label or sign
yom hashana / yahrzeit
US English
Death anniversary; yahrzeit
UK English
Same as US
יום השנה is the annual death anniversary, usually on the Hebrew date of death and starting the evening before. יארצייט is Yiddish but widely understood in Israeli Hebrew.
יום השנה is not Yizkor, the communal synagogue memorial on Yom Kippur and some festivals. Customs include a candle, prayer, study or charity, and sometimes a grave visit.
Do not use the Gregorian anniversary without checking family practice; look for the Hebrew date on the notice.
On the label or sign
zal / zichrono livracha
US English
Of blessed memory
UK English
Same as US
ז״ל is written after the name of a deceased person. Spoken aloud, ז״ל becomes זכרונו לברכה for a man and זכרונה לברכה for a woman.
ז״ל qualifies the deceased's name and is not a condolence to the family. ע״ה, עליו השלום, works the same way.
Do not read ז״ל aloud as letters; say זכרונו לברכה or זכרונה לברכה.
Yom HaZikaron
US English
Israel's national Memorial Day
UK English
Israel's national Remembrance Day, approximately
Without a qualifier, יום הזיכרון usually means the national memorial day for fallen members of Israel's security forces and victims of hostile acts, observed before Independence Day.
A private death anniversary is clearer as יום השנה, יום הפטירה or יארצייט.
Do not call a relative's anniversary יום הזיכרון where people may hear the national day.
On the label or sign
chalal / mishpacha shkula
US English
Fallen service member; bereaved family
UK English
Fallen member of the armed forces; bereaved family
In official Israeli usage, חלל and נפל are honorific state terms for a person who fell in military or security service. משפחה שכולה is a bereaved family, especially in these recognized contexts.
חלל and נפל are not neutral replacements for נפטר in every death. A grieving family does not automatically have the legal status of a משפחה שכולה.
Do not translate חלל here as corpse or space, and do not use נפל for an ordinary death.
On the label or sign
yemei evel
US English
Paid bereavement leave
UK English
Same as US
For most employees with at least three months of service, ימי אבל pay for scheduled workdays missed because of the recognized mourning practice for an immediate relative, up to seven calendar days. ימי אבל cover all religions according to religion or custom.
ימי אבל are not seven extra paid workdays for everyone, and sector agreements create exceptions. Since a July 2026 amendment, an employee may also use an accrued annual-leave choice day for a close relative's memorial day with 30 days' notice; that day is not extra paid leave.
Do not assume ימי אבל come out of annual leave; ימי אבל are not deducted from annual leave.
| In English | In Hebrew | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Funeral | הלוויהhalvaya | Often at a plain cemetery hall. |
| Sitting shiva | יושבים שבעהyoshvim shiva | Counted from the burial day. |
| Condolence call | ביקור תנחומיםbikur tanchumim | An in-person visit. |
| My condolences | אני משתתף בצערכםani mishtatef betza'archem | A woman says משתתפת. |
| Thirty-day memorial | אזכרת שלושיםazkarat shloshim | Thirty days from burial, not after shiva. |
| Unveiling | גילוי מצבהgilui matzeva | At thirty days or after a year. |
| Yahrzeit | יום השנהyom hashana | Usually on the Hebrew date. |
| Of blessed memory | ז״לzal | Said aloud as זכרונו לברכה. |
| Bereavement leave | ימי אבלyemei evel | Up to seven calendar days. |
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שבעה (shiva) is seven days counted from the burial. Any part of the burial day before sunset counts as day one, and the family rises on the morning of day seven, so shiva is often shorter than seven full days.
No. שלושים (shloshim) is thirty days counted from the burial, and the seven days of שבעה are inside it.
When leaving, Ashkenazi Jews often say המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים, and Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews often say מן השמים תנוחמו. The neutral modern phrase is אני משתתף בצערכם, my condolences.
An אזכרה (azkara) is a memorial gathering held after shiva, at thirty days, at the end of the first year or every year. An אזכרה is not a funeral, which in Hebrew is a הלוויה.
Most employees with at least three months of service are paid for workdays missed for an immediate relative's mourning, up to seven calendar days, and sector agreements can differ. The days are not deducted from annual leave.
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