Yizkor (Hebrew: יזכור “May He remember”) is a memorial prayer service. The name Yizkor derives from two Hebrew words, yid (“remember”) and zakar (“remember”). The service is usually recited by a member of the immediate family in the synagogue at the conclusion of morning services on weekdays and holidays and on Saturday afternoon .
O God, the Eternal One, who remembers us in our time of trouble, grant us the blessing of remembering our mothers.
We thank you for all the gifts we have received from them: their wisdom, their insight and understanding, their love and support.
May we find strength in these gifts as we continue on our path through life. Amen.
There are also prayers like The Yizkor Prayer for One’s Mother, When do you say Yizkor, Yizkor in memory of a mother and so much more.
What is Yizkor?
Yizkor means “remembrance” in Hebrew and most commonly refers to memorial prayer services held four times a year during Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover and Shavuot. Jewish people believe in the eternity of the soul. It is common belief that by saying Yizkor, remembering a loved one and giving charity in a loved one’s name helps his or her soul gain merit from our good deeds. Reciting Yizkor may also serve as a very important and reflective time for individuals honoring and commemorating loved ones.
When do you say Yizkor?
Yizkor is said on the first holiday after an individual passes away. Synagogues hold Yizkor services four times a year:
- Yom Kippur
- the last (8th) day of Sukkot
- the last (8th) day of Passover
- the last (2nd) day of Shavuot
If you do not belong to a synagogue or cannot attend services, the Yizkor service and prayers can be said privately at your home.
Yahrzeit & Yizkor Date Calculator
Enter the date of passing and determine the appropriate dates to observe Yahrzeit and Yizkor according to the Hebrew Calendar and Holiday Schedule. You will be able to view and download a list of both English and Hebrew dates.
The Yizkor Prayer for One’s Mother
The translation and transliteration below are adapted, with permission, from the Seif Edition of the Transliterated Siddur, for Shabbat and Festivals, a Mesorah Publication for the OU Centennial, with Introductory Essays and Comments by Rabbi Benjamin Yudin.
Introduction
In the Yizkor Prayer below, whenever the name of the deceased is mentioned, it is given in the following form: The deceased’s Hebrew name followed by “ben”, “son of”, or “bat”, “daughter of;” then, in the Ashkenazic Tradition, the deceased’s father’s Hebrew name; in the Sefardic Tradition, the deceased’s mother’s Hebrew name. If any of the Hebrew names are not known, consult your local Orthodox Rabbi as to how to proceed.
Example: (slightly complicated; if it helps, draw a diagram)
Moshe and Rivkah were the parents of Sarah (the wife of Yehoshua, from the previous example) who was the mother of Levy and Dinah. Sarah, unfortunately, passes away.
Whether Moshe and Rivkah are still alive is, for the purpose of this example, irrelevant.
Now Dinah, as well as her brother, Levy, are saying “Yizkor” for their mother, Sarah.
In the Ashkenazic Tradition, they would refer to her as “Sarah bat Moshe;” in the Sefardic Tradition, they would refer to her as “Sarah bat Rivkah.”
Meaning of “Bond of Life”
The term “bond of life” which appears below in the request that the deceased’s soul be “bound in the bond of life,” most probably refers to the attainment of greater and greater closeness to Hashem. Hashem is called, “Chai HaOlamim,” the “Life of the Worlds,” meaning the source of life in “Olam HaZeh,” “this world,” the world of the here-and-now, and in “Olam HaBa,” the “world to come,” the indescribable spiritual “world” which we confidently expect to experience, as a cardinal principle of the Jewish faith, after death.
“Without Taking a Vow”
You will note that in the text below, in connection with the pledge to charity made by the individual reciting Yizkor, the phrase “without taking a vow,” appears. The reason for this is the great hesitancy in the Jewish Religion about making vows, which require a person to follow through, or be in big trouble. One source for this is in Megillat Kohelet, “When you make a vow to G-d, do not delay paying it, for He has no liking for fools; what you vow, pay. It is better not to vow at all, than to vow, and not pay.” (Kohelet 5:3-4)
For One’s Mother: Hebrew Text
Hebrew Text for Yizkor Service in Memory of One’s Mother
For One’s Mother: Transliteration
Yizkor E-lohim Nishmat imi morati (Name of the Deceased) Shehol’chah l’olamah, Ba-avur sheb’li neder Etayn tz’dakah ba-adah.
Bis-char ze T’hay nafshah tz’rurah Bitz-ror hacha-yim Im nish-mot Avraham, Yitzchak v’Yaakov, Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel v’Lay-ah, V’im sh’ar tzadikim v’tzidkaniyot Sheb’Gan Eden.
V’nomar: Amayn.
For One’s Mother: Translation
May the L-rd remember the soul of my mother, my teacher, (reference to deceased mother) who has gone on to her world, because, without making a vow, I shall give to charity on her behalf.
As reward for this, may her soul be bound in the Bond of Life, together with the souls of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah; and together with the other righteous men and women in the Garden of Eden.
Now let us respond: Amen.
Yizkor in memory of a mother
Yizkor elohim nishmas eemee morasi (name) shehalacha l’olama, baavoor sheani noder tzedaka baada, bischar zeh, t’hay nafsha tzerurah bitzrov hachayim im nishmos Avraham, Yitzchak, v’Yaakov, Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, v’Leah, v’im shear tzadikim v’tzid kaniyos she b’gan eden, v’nomar ah’main.
May God remember the soul of my respected mother (name) who has passed to her eternal rest. I pledge charity in her behalf and pray that her soul be kept among the immortal souls of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, and all the righteous men and women in paradise. Amen.
Yizkor Guide, Prayers & Times
Yizkor can mean ‘remember’ and it can also mean ‘mention’. When we recite the Yizkor prayer we not only remember loved ones but bring them into the present by mentioning them.
There are a number of variations for the Yizkor memorial prayers, at Spiritgrow we encourage people to use the text found in the Artscroll Prayer Book because of it accessible language (Below)
This year (2022), the Pesach Yizkor is recited during the day of April 23rd. Spiritgrow will offer a Yizkor memorial service at 11:30am on the 23rd.
If you wish for your loved one/s to be mentioned in the communal Yizkor at Spirtgrow please provide us with their name via this link.
