Question: My best friend’s mother passed away in June, 2007. I know there is some sort of tradition for the one year anniversary and I would like to honour my friend by doing something for her to let her know I care. Can you also explain about the anniversary date of the death and what it means?

Answer: The anniversary, also known as the “Yahrzeit,” is important since each year there is a transition for the soul in the spiritual realm where it resides. We do acts that bring us closer to G-d, mitzvahs, in memory of the deceased as a means of elevating the deceased soul. You can do a kindness to someone, give charity, decide to have one hour of the day that you will not gossip and try to maintain peaceful relations to people, etc. All these will elevate the soul of the deceased.

Rabbi Meir Goldberg