Ways to Remember

Each of Us Has a Name is devoted to preserving the memories of those who died in the Holocaust. We collect the names of the victims to ensure that they are remembered forever. But there is more to remembering than simply listing names on a website. We need your help with this. Here are some simple ways that you can help to remember these people:

Recite Mourner's Kaddish

In Judaism, one tradition is to say the Mourner's Kaddish for a person on their yahrzeit. Each of Us Has a Name always has an up-to-date list of people's yahrzeits that fall during each week. The weekly and Shabbat prayer service includes the Mourner's Kaddish whenever a minyan (10 adults) is present. So if you are planning on going to services, why not pick a few people and say the Mourner's Kaddish for them? The list is updated every Friday before sunset (which marks the beginning of Shabbat), to ensure that there is plenty of time to pick some people to mourn before Shabbat begins.

Light a Ner Neshama (memorial candle)

Another custom in Judaism is to light a Ner Neshama, or memorial candle, on a person's Yahrzeit. The candle is lit at sunset the day before the Yahrzeit, and burns for 24 hours until sunset the next day. Ner Neshama are made to ensure that they burn for a full 24 hours. For a less hazardous alternative, many Jewish companies also make electric versions that are simply turned on for 24 hours. Although there are no prayers required to light a Ner Neshama, some people recite Psalms (121, 140, and 142 are suggested)

Take a moment to think

Another way to remember and mourn the victims of the Holocaust is to simply think about them. Each of Us Has a Name provides a daily list of Yahrzeits on almost all of its pages. We also have a mobile site set up (m.eachofushasaname.org) that also has a daily list of yahrzeits. Make it a part of your daily routine to read over this list and pick a person or two to think about. To make it easier to think of each person as an individual, Each of Us Has a Name collects more than just victims' names. Click on the link for each person's name to find out more about them.