A Message for the Grievers

Dear Friends, 

There are days when the weight of the world feels especially heavy. Days when grief, even for people we’ve never met, lingers close to the surface. In moments like these, we are reminded of the power and tenderness of Jewish ritual to help us hold what feels unholdable.

Together, we mourn Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky. We sit in the sorrow of lives lost too soon. Jewish tradition gives us words and gestures to carry grief with intention and dignity. Lighting a candle. Saying a name. Sitting in silence. Speaking a prayer aloud.

We’ve written a new Mi Sheberach (a blessing for healing) for those in mourning, and for those grieving strangers who still feel like family. Tomorrow, I will be lighting an extra candle at my Shabbat table and reciting this in memory of Sarah and Yaron. I invite you to join me. 

Mi Sheberach for the Grievers

May the One who blessed our ancestors bless us now:
those who mourn loved ones,
those who mourn strangers,
those who feel the world shift
under the weight of another loss.

May healing come in small ways:
a deep breath,
a kind word,
a ritual that reminds us we are not alone.

Let us remember,
and let their memories be a blessing
that moves us toward compassion,
toward justice,
toward peace.

Amen.

Our community is no stranger to resilience. Through ritual, through story, through each other—we keep going. If you're feeling the need to mark this moment, we invite you to explore our rituals for grief and our poems for remembrance.

With care and solidarity,

Eileen Levinson
Founder and Executive Director, Recustom