BOB'S FOURTH YAHRZEIT STARTS AT SUNDOWN ON FRI, NOVEMBER 1, 2024
As you peruse this page, may we suggest....
Hit "play" below, to hear a beautiful contemplative piece (one of Bob's favorites!): Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber
WHAT IS THE YAHRZEIT?
“The word ‘Yahrzeit’ is Yiddish and is translated to mean “time of year.” In Judaism, there is a focus on carrying on the memory of loved ones from generation to generation. Based on Jewish law, the first Yahrzeit is the day one year following the death of a loved one as calculated in accordance with the Hebrew (Lunar) calendar. This remembrance is performed annually by burning a Yahrzeit candle for 24 hours.”*
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE YAHRZEIT CANDLE?
“In chapter 20, verse 27 of the book of proverbs, it provides: "the soul of man is the candle of G-d." The Yahrzeit candle reminds people of the fragility of life and encourages them to embrace their life and that of their loved ones. A candle is often believed to be a symbol of the soul.”*
This remembrance is performed annually by burning a Yahrzeit candle for 24 hours, and reciting a prayer -- traditionally, the Mourner’s Kaddish. You may recite your own prayer, or a poem - see some options below that feel very "Bob Yellin." :-)
Prayer for Dear Departed Ones Author unknown
This is a prayer Bob's dad, "Hy," sent to family members when he published family Yahrzeit calendars.
Source of Life and Love, as I kindle this memorial candle to pay tribute to my beloved (name)______,
I realize once more how much my life is entwined with those who departed.
Grant me the wisdom to live in ways that will afford others sweet memories when I am no longer alive.
Inspire me with love and hope so that my life will be one of peace, mercy and justice.
May I ever reflect honor on those who formed my character and enriched my life. Amen
When Great Trees Fall
by Maya Angelou
Download Poem HERE
When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down in tall grasses,
and even elephants lumber after safety.
When great trees fall in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses eroded beyond fear.
When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,
see with a hurtful clarity.
Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks never taken.
Great souls die and
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their nurture,
now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance, fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable
ignorance of dark, cold caves.
And when great souls die,
after a period, peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly.
Spaces fill with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be better.
For they existed.
Very dear friend, Curt Moore (another "Great Tree!"), reading Maya Angelou's poem "When Great Trees Fall" for Bob's Virtual Tribute on November 19, 2020. Our sweet Curt left his physical body in April, 2021; he is so greatly missed.
Bob's Yahrzeit Calendar 2024-2033
Light the candle at sunset, the evening before:
Thursday, October 23, 2025 (1 Cheshvan, 5786)
Yahrzeit observance begin on Wednesday evening
Monday, October 12, 2026 (1 Cheshvan, 5787)
Yahrzeit observance begin on Sunday evening.
Monday, November 1, 2027 (1 Cheshvan, 5788)
Yahrzeit observance begin on Sunday evening.
Saturday, October 21, 2028 (1 Cheshvan, 5789)
Yahrzeit observance begin on Friday evening.
Wednesday, October 10, 2029 (1 Cheshvan, 5790)
Yahrzeit observance begin on Tuesday evening.
Monday, October 28, 2030 (1 Cheshvan, 5791)
Yahrzeit observance begin on Sunday evening.
Saturday, October 18, 2031 (1 Cheshvan, 5792)
Yahrzeit observance begin on Friday evening.
Wednesday, October 6, 2032 (1 Cheshvan, 5793)
Yahrzeit observances begin on Tuesday evening.
Download Calendar (pdf) HERE
