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Kaddish (???? Aramaic
Aramaic language

Aramaic is a Semitic languages with a 3,000-year history. It has been the language of administration of empires and the language of divine worship....
: "holy") refers to an important and central prayer in the Jewish prayer service
Jewish services

Jewish services are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God
Names of God in Judaism

In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title. It represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relation of God to the Jewish people....
's name. In the liturgy, several variations of the Kaddish are used functionally as separators between various sections of the service
Jewish services

Jewish services are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
. The term "Kaddish" is often used to refer specifically to "The Mourners' Kaddish," said as part of the mourning rituals in Judaism in all prayer services as well as at funerals and memorials.






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Kaddish (???? Aramaic
Aramaic language

Aramaic is a Semitic languages with a 3,000-year history. It has been the language of administration of empires and the language of divine worship....
: "holy") refers to an important and central prayer in the Jewish prayer service
Jewish services

Jewish services are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God
Names of God in Judaism

In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title. It represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relation of God to the Jewish people....
's name. In the liturgy, several variations of the Kaddish are used functionally as separators between various sections of the service
Jewish services

Jewish services are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
. The term "Kaddish" is often used to refer specifically to "The Mourners' Kaddish," said as part of the mourning rituals in Judaism in all prayer services as well as at funerals and memorials. When mention is made of "saying Kaddish", this unambiguously denotes the rituals of mourning.

The opening words of this prayer are inspired by , a vision of God becoming great in the eyes of all the nations. The central line of the kaddish in Jewish tradition is the congregation's response "May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity", a public declaration of God's greatness and eternality. This response is a paraphrase of part of .

The Mourners', Rabbis' and Complete Kaddish end with a supplication for peace, which is in Hebrew
Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Semitic languages of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Modern Hebrew is spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Classical Hebrew is used for prayer or study in Jews communities around the world....
, and comes from the Bible
Tanakh

The Tanakh is the Bible used in Judaism. The name "Tanakh" is a Hebrew language Acronym and initialism formed from the initial Hebrew alphabet of the Tanakh's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim - hence TaNaKh....
.

Along with the Shema and Amidah
Amidah

The Amidah , also called the Shmona Esre , is the central prayer of the Siddur. As Judaism's prayer par excellence, the Amidah is often designated simply as tfila in Rabbinic literature....
, the Kaddish is one of the most important and central prayers in the Jewish liturgy.

History and background


"The Kaddish is in origin a closing doxology
Doxology

A doxology is a short hymn of praises to God in various Christianity worship services, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns. The tradition derives from a similar practice in the Jewish synagogue....
 to an Aggadic discourse" (Pool). Most of it is written in Aramaic, which at the time of its original composition, was the lingua franca
Lingua franca

A lingua franca is a language systematically used to communicate between persons not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both persons' mother tongues....
 of the Jewish people. It is not composed in the vernacular Aramaic, however, but rather in a "literary, jargon Aramaic" that was used in the academies, and is identical to the dialect of the Targum
Targum

A targum is an Aramaic language translation of the Hebrew Bible written or compiled from the Second Temple period until the early Middle Ages ....
 (Pool).
Kaddish was not originally said by mourners, but rather by the rabbis when they finished giving sermons on Sabbath afternoons and later, when they finished studying a section of midrash
Midrash

Midrash is a Hebrew language term referring to the not exact, but comparative method of exegesis of Biblical texts, which is one of four methods cumulatively called Pardes ....
 or aggadah
Aggadah

Aggadah refers to the Homiletics and non-legalistic Exegesis texts in classical rabbinic literature - particularly as recorded in the Talmud and Midrash....
. This practice developed in Babylonia where most people understood only Aramaic and sermons were given in Aramaic so Kaddish was said in the vernacular. This is why it is currently said in Aramaic. This "Rabbinical Kaddish" (Kaddish d'Rabbanan) is still said after studying midrash or aggadah or after reading them as part of the service. It differs from the regular Kaddish because of its inclusion of a prayer for rabbis, scholars and their disciples. While anyone may say this Kaddish, it has become the custom for mourners to say the Rabbinical Kaddish in addition to the Mourner's Kaddish.


The oldest version of the Kaddish is found in the Siddur of Rab Amram Gaon
Amram Gaon

Amram Gaon was a famous Geonim or head of the Jewish Talmud Talmudic Academies in Babylonia of Sura in the 9th century. He was the author of many Responsa, but his chief work was liturgy....
, c. 900. The Jewish Virtual Library
Jewish Virtual Library

The Jewish Virtual Library is an online encyclopedia published by the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise . It was established in 1993 and is a comprehensive Web site covering Israel, the Jewish people and Jewish culture....
 observes that "The first mention of mourners saying Kaddish at the end of the service is in a thirteenth century halakhic
Halakha

Halakha ? also Hebrew transliteration Halocho and Halacha ? is the collective body of Judaism religious law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions....
 writing called the Or Zarua. The Kaddish at the end of the service became designated as Kaddish Yatom or Mourners' Kaddish (literally, "Orphan's Kaddish")."

The Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer

The Lord's Prayer, also known as the Our Father or Pater noster, is probably the best-known prayer in Christianity. On Easter Sunday 2007 it was estimated that 2 billion Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Christians read, recited, or sang the short prayer in hundreds of languages in houses of worship of all shapes and size...
 in Christianity has its roots in the Kaddish and shares similar themes.

Variations


The various versions of the Kaddish are:
  • Chatzi Kaddish (??? ????) or Kaddish Le'ela (???? ????) Literally "Half Kaddish", sometimes called the "Readers Kaddish"
  • Kaddish Yatom (???? ????) or Kaddish Yehe Shelama Rabba (???? ??? ???? ???) Literally "Orphan's Kaddish", although commonly referred to as Kaddish Avelim (???? ?????), the "Mourners' Kaddish"
  • Kaddish Shalem (???? ???) or Kaddish Titkabbal (???? ?????) Literally "Complete Kaddish" or "Whole Kaddish"
  • Kaddish d'Rabbanan (???? ?????) or Kaddish al Yisrael (???? ?? ?????) Literally "Kaddish of the Rabbis"
  • Kaddish achar Hakk'vura (???? ??? ??????) Literally "Kaddish after a Burial", also called Kaddish d'Itchadata (???? ???????) named after one of the first distinguishing words in this variant. In the presence of a minyan
    Minyan

    A minyan in Judaism refers to the quorum required for certain Mitzvahs. The traditional minyan for most cases consists of ten men, which continues to be the position with Orthodox Judaism....
    , this version is also said at the siyum
    Siyum

    A siyum means the completion of any unit of Torah study, or book of the Mishnah or Talmud in Judaism. A siyum is usually followed by a celebratory meal, or seudat mitzvah, a meal in honor of a mitzvah, or commandment....
     upon completion of the comprehensive study of any one of the Talmud
    Talmud

    The Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Halakha, Jewish ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
    's tractates ("volumes") and is printed at the end of most tractates.


Most versions of the Kaddish begin with the Chatzi Kaddish (Half Kaddish). (There are some inserted passages in the Kaddish after a burial.) The longer versions contain additional paragraphs, and are often named after distinctive words in those paragraphs. The Kaddish, as used in the services
Jewish services

Jewish services are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
, is chanted. The melody varies depending on the version as well as on the point in the service at which it is recited. While the Chatzi Kaddish generally has a distinctively upbeat melody, the Mourners' Kaddish is recited slowly and contemplatively.

The Half Kaddish is used to punctuate divisions within the service: for example, before Barechu, between the Shema and the Amidah
Amidah

The Amidah , also called the Shmona Esre , is the central prayer of the Siddur. As Judaism's prayer par excellence, the Amidah is often designated simply as tfila in Rabbinic literature....
 and following readings from the Torah. The Kaddish d'Rabbanan is used after any part of the service that includes extracts from the Mishnah
Mishnah

The Mishnah or Mishna is a major work of Rabbinic literature, and the first major redaction into written form of Jewish oral traditions, called the Oral Torah....
 or the Talmud
Talmud

The Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Halakha, Jewish ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
, as its original purpose was to close a study session. Kaddish Titkabbal originally marked the end of the service, though now there are a few passages and hymns following it. Kaddish Yehe Shelama Rabba is used as the Mourners' Kaddish, and this is the best known use of Kaddish.

The Jewish Encyclopedia
Jewish Encyclopedia

The Jewish Encyclopedia was an encyclopedia originally published between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901....
's mentions an additional type of Kaddish, called "Kaddish Yachid", or "Individual's Kaddish". This is contained in the Siddur
Siddur

A siddur is a Judaism prayer book, containing a set order of List of Jewish prayers and blessings. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as we know it today has developed....
 of Amram Gaon
Amram Gaon

Amram Gaon was a famous Geonim or head of the Jewish Talmud Talmudic Academies in Babylonia of Sura in the 9th century. He was the author of many Responsa, but his chief work was liturgy....
, but is a meditation taking the place of Kaddish rather than a Kaddish in the normal sense.

Text of the Kaddish

The following includes the half, complete, mourners' and rabbis' kaddish. The variant lines of the burial kaddish are given below.

Text of the Burial Kaddish

In the burial kaddishi, lines 2-3 are replaced by:

Customs


The Kaddish immediately before Barechu
Jewish services

Jewish services are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
 is often sung by the officiant to a rhythmic tune. Every other Kaddish in the service, except for the Mourners' Kaddish (see next section), is usually chanted by the officiant as a recitative. In all cases the congregation makes the necessary responses. In Spanish and Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese Jews

Spanish and Portuguese Jews are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardim who have their main ethnic origins within the crypto-Judaism communities of the Iberian peninsula and who shaped communities mainly in Western Europe and the Americas from the late 16th century on....
 synagogues, the entire congregation sings Kaddish Yehe Shelama in arvit
Jewish services

Jewish services are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
 of Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur , also known in English as the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holidays. Its central themes are Atonement in Judaism and Repentance in Judaism....
.

In Sephardi synagogues the whole congregation sits for Kaddish, except:
  • in the Kaddish immediately before the Amidah
    Amidah

    The Amidah , also called the Shmona Esre , is the central prayer of the Siddur. As Judaism's prayer par excellence, the Amidah is often designated simply as tfila in Rabbinic literature....
    , where everyone stands;
  • in the Mourners' Kaddish, where those reciting it stand and everyone else sits.


In Ashkenazi synagogues, the custom varies. Very commonly, in both Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism is a Jewish denominations of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict constructionist and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim....
 and Reform
Reform Judaism

Reform Judaism refers to the spectrum of beliefs, practices and organizational infrastructure associated with Reform Judaism in Reform Judaism and in Reform Judaism ....
 congregations, everyone stands; but in some (especially many Conservative
Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism is a modern Jewish denominations of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s....
) synagogues, most of the congregants sit. Sometimes, a distinction is made between the different forms of Kaddish, or each congregant stands or sits according to his or her own custom. The Mourners' Kaddish is often treated differently from the other occurrences of Kaddish in the service, as is the Half Kaddish before the maftir
Maftir

Maftir properly refers to the last person called to the Torah on Shabbat and holiday mornings: this person also reads the haftarah portion from a related section of the Nevi'im ....
.

Some Reform
Reform Judaism

Reform Judaism refers to the spectrum of beliefs, practices and organizational infrastructure associated with Reform Judaism in Reform Judaism and in Reform Judaism ....
 synagogues have dropped all use of Kaddish except the Mourners' Kaddish, though in many there is now a move to reinstate it before Barechu and/or the Amidah
Amidah

The Amidah , also called the Shmona Esre , is the central prayer of the Siddur. As Judaism's prayer par excellence, the Amidah is often designated simply as tfila in Rabbinic literature....
.

Mourners' Kaddish

"Mourners' Kaddish" is said at all prayer services
Jewish services

Jewish services are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
 and certain other occasions. It takes the form of Kaddish Yehe Shelama Rabba, and is traditionally recited several times, most prominently at or towards the end of the service, after the Aleinu
Aleinu

Aleinu is a Jewish prayer found in the siddur, the classical Jewish prayerbook. It is recited at the end of each of the three daily Jewish services....
 and/or closing Psalms
Psalms

Psalms is a book of the Hebrew Bible , included in the collected works known as the "Writings" or Ketuvim....
 and/or (on the Sabbath) Ani'im Zemirot. Following the death of a child, spouse or close relative it is customary to recite the Mourners' Kaddish in the presence of a congregation daily for thirty days (eleven months in the case of a parent), and then at every anniversary of the death; and in what follows, a "mourner" means any person present at a service who has the obligation to recite Kaddish in accordance with these rules.

Customs for reciting the Mourners' Kaddish vary markedly among various communities. In Sephardi synagogues, the custom is that all the mourners stand and chant the Kaddish together. In Ashkenazi synagogues, the earlier custom was that one mourner be chosen to lead the prayer on behalf of the rest, though most congregations have now adopted the Sephardi custom. In many Reform synagogues, the entire congregation recites the Mourners' Kaddish together. This is sometimes said to be for those victims of the Holocaust who have no one left to recite the Mourner's Kaddish on their behalf. In some congregations (especially Reform and Conservative ones), the Rabbi will read a list of those who have a Yahrzeit
Bereavement in Judaism

Bereavement in Judaism is a combination of minhag and mitzvah derived from Judaism's classical Torah and Rabbinical literature texts. The details of observance and practice vary according to each Jewish community....
 on that day (or who have died within the past month), and then ask the congregants to name any people they are mourning, similar to the Misheberach. Some synagogues try to multiply the number of times that the Mourners' Kaddish is recited by, for example, reciting a separate Mourners' Kaddish after both Aleinu and then each closing Psalm. Other synagogues limit themselves to one Mourners' Kaddish at the end of the service.

It is important to note that the Mourners' Kaddish does not mention death at all, but instead praises God. Though the Kaddish is often popularly referred to as the "Jewish Prayer for the Dead," that designation more accurately belongs to the prayer called "El Maleh Rachamim
El male rachamim

"El male rachamim" is a funeral prayer used by the Ashkenazi Jewish community. The chazzan recites it, for the ascension of the souls of the dead, during the funeral, going up to the grave of the departed, remembrance days, and other occasions on which the memory of the dead is recalled....
," which specifically prays for the soul of the deceased.

Creative works


Leonard Bernstein's
Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein was a multi-Emmy-winning and Academy Award for Original Music Score nominated American Conductor , composer, author, music lecturer and Piano....
 Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 3 (Bernstein)

Kaddish is the third symphony of Leonard Bernstein. The 1963 symphony is a dramatic work written for a large orchestra, a full choir, a boys' choir, a soprano soloist and a narrator....
, Kaddish, for Orchestra, Mixed Chorus, Boys' Choir, Speaker and Soprano Solo, 1963 (revised in 1977), is a dramatic work dedicated to the memory of John F. Kennedy. Some interpret it as reaction to the Holocaust, but there is no documentary evidence for this view.

Kaddish for Naomi Ginsberg (1894-1956)
Kaddish (poem)

Kaddish is a poem by Beat generation writer Allen Ginsberg about the death of his mother, Naomi, in 1956. After her death, a rabbi would not allow the traditional Kaddish to be read with Ginsberg's Christian and atheist friends, so he rebelled and wrote a kaddish of his own....
 is one of the most famous and celebrated poems of beat
Beat generation

The Beat Generation is a term used to describe a group of American writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, and also the cultural phenomena that they wrote about and inspired ....
 poet Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg

Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an United States poet. Ginsberg is best known for the poem "Howl" , celebrating his friends who were members of the Beat Generation and attacking what he saw as the destructive forces of materialism and conformity in the United States....


"Kaddish" is the title for a work by W. Francis McBeth
W. Francis McBeth

William Francis McBeth was born March 9 1933 in Ropesville, Texas . He attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. McBeth is a prolific composer, whose musical repertoire has become a universal standard in wind band literature....
 for a concert band, based on the chant of the prayer. McBeth composed this work as a memorial for his teacher J. Clifton Williams.

"Inspired by Kaddish" is a fifteen movement musical composition by Lawrence Siegel. One of the movements is the prayer itself; the remaining fourteen movements are stories of the experiences of a number of Holocaust survivors Lawrence interviewed during his research for the piece. It was debuted by the Keene State College
Keene State College

Keene State College is a liberal arts college in Keene, New Hampshire. It is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges as well as of the University System of New Hampshire along with the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, and the Granite State College....
 Chamber Singers in May, 2008 in Keene, New Hampshire.

Uses in the arts


  • "Kaddish" is the title of an episode of the television show The X-Files
    The X-Files

    The X-Files is a Peabody Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning American cult following science fiction television series, created by Chris Carter , which first aired in 1993 and ended in 2002....
     (season 4, episode 15), in which a Golem
    Golem

    In Jewish folklore, a golem is an animate being created entirely from inanimate matter. In modern Hebrew language the word golem literally means "cocoon", but can also mean "fool", "silly", or even "stupid"....
     is avenging a murder.


  • "Kaddish" is the title of an episode of the television show Homicide: Life on the Street
    Homicide: Life on the Street

    Homicide: Life on the Street is an United States television police procedural series chronicling the work of a fictional Baltimore Baltimore Police Department homicide unit....
     (season 5, episode 17), in which detective John Munch (Richard Belzer
    Richard Belzer

    Richard Jay Belzer is an United States stand-up Stand up comedian, writer, and actor, perhaps best known for his work as John Munch, on Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit....
    ), who is Jewish, investigates the rape and murder of his childhood sweetheart.


  • The Mourner's Kaddish can be heard being recited by Collins and Roger during the song "La Vie Boheme
    La Vie Boheme

    "La Vie Boh?me" is a song in the musical Rent . The second part of this song ends the first act of the show. In between the two halves of the song is an interlude with Roger and Mimi....
    " in the musical Rent
    Rent (musical)

    Rent is a rock opera, with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La Boh?me. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side in the thriving days of Bohemianism Alphabet City, Manhattan, under the shadow of AIDS....
    .


  • In the television series Drawn Together
    Drawn Together

    Drawn Together is an United States animated television series, which ran on Comedy Central from October 27, 2004 to November 14, 2007. The series was created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein, and uses a Situation comedy format with a TV reality show setting....
    , Toot recites the Mourner's Kaddish in the episode "A Very Special Drawn Together Afterschool Special," after saying that her son was (metaphorically) dead.


  • In Rocky III
    Rocky III

    Rocky III is the third installment in the Rocky . It is directed by and stars Sylvester Stallone as the Rocky Balboa, with Carl Weathers as former boxing rival Apollo Creed, and Talia Shire as Rocky's wife, Adrian_Pennino....
    , Rocky Balboa
    Rocky Balboa (character)

    Robert "Rocky" Balboa, Sr. is a fictional boxer portrayed by Sylvester Stallone who has appeared in the Rocky from 1976 to 2006. By the end of the series, he is a two-time former Heavyweight Champion of the World....
     recites the Mourners' Kaddish for Mickey.


  • In Philip Roth
    Philip Roth

    Philip Milton Roth is an United States novelist. He gained early literary fame with the 1959 collection Goodbye, Columbus , cemented it with his 1969 bestseller Portnoy's Complaint, and has continued to write critically acclaimed works, many of which feature his fictional alter ego, Nathan Zuckerman....
    's novel The Human Stain
    The Human Stain

    The Human Stain is a novel by Philip Roth. It is set in late 1990s rural New England. Its first person narrator is 65-year-old author Nathan Zuckerman, a character in previous Roth novels, including American Pastoral and I Married a Communist ; these two books form a loose trilogy with The Human Stain....
    , the narrator states that the Mourners' Kaddish signifies that "a Jew is dead. Another Jew is dead. As though death were not a consequence of life but a consequence of having been a Jew."


  • In Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, one of the antagonists goes by the name of Kadaj, possibly a take on Kaddish, which keeps in line with the common use of religious symbolism throughout Final Fantasy VII
    Final Fantasy VII

    is a console role-playing game developed by Square Co. and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series....
     (Jenova is another example of this.)


  • In Tony Kushner
    Tony Kushner

    Tony Kushner is an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1992 for his play, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, and co-authored with Eric Roth the screenplay for the 2005 film, Munich ....
    's play Angels in America
    Angels in America

    Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes is a theatre in two parts by American playwright Tony Kushner. It has been made into both a television Angels in America and an opera by Peter E?tv?s....
    , the characters of Louis and Ethel Rosenberg say the Kaddish over Roy Cohn
    Roy Cohn

    Roy Marcus Cohn was an United States Conservatism in the United States lawyer who became famous during the investigations by Senator Joseph McCarthy into alleged Communists in the U.S....
    's dead body.


  • In the television show Everwood
    Everwood

    Everwood was a prime time television drama that aired in the United States on The WB Television Network. The series was set in the fictional small town of Everwood, Colorado....
    , Ephram Brown recites the Mourner's Kaddish at his mother's unveiling
    Bereavement in Judaism

    Bereavement in Judaism is a combination of minhag and mitzvah derived from Judaism's classical Torah and Rabbinical literature texts. The details of observance and practice vary according to each Jewish community....
    .


  • The Kaddish can be heard in the opening credits of Schindler's List
    Schindler's List

    Schindler's List is an Cinema of the United States biographical film about Oskar Schindler, a Germany businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand Poland Jews during the The Holocaust by employing them in his factories....
    .


  • In Yentl
    Yentl

    Yentl is a play by Leah Napolin and Isaac Bashevis Singer.Based on Singer's short story "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy," it centers on a young girl who defies tradition by discussing and debating Jewish law and theology with her rabbi father....
    , at her father's burial, the rabbi asks who will say Kaddish (Kaddish is traditionally said by a son). Yentl replies that she will and, to the horror of those assembled, grabs the siddur and starts saying Kaddish.


  • Kaddisch is the first of Ravel
    Maurice Ravel

    Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer and pianist of Impressionist music known especially for the subtlety, richness, and poignancy of his melodies, orchestral and instrumental Texture and effects....
    's two songs .


  • The fictional character Dan Turpin
    Dan Turpin

    Daniel "Terrible" Turpin is a fictional character published by DC Comics. Turpin was created by Jack Kirby, he first appeared as Brooklyn in Detective Comics #64 , and first appeared as Dan Turpin in New Gods #5 ....
     was killed by Darkseid
    Darkseid

    Darkseid is a Character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 , and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
     in Superman: The Animated Series
    Superman: The Animated Series

    Superman: The Animated Series is the unofficial title of a Warner Bros.' United States List of animated television series that ran from 1996 to 2000....
    , and at his funeral, there was a Rabbi saying Kaddish. After the episode, there was a message that the episode was dedicated to Jack Kirby
    Jack Kirby

    Jacob Kurtzberg , better known by the pen name Jack Kirby, was an American comic book artist, writer and editing. Growing up poor in New York City, Kurtzberg entered the nascent comics industry in the 1930s....
    , a Jewish comic book artist, who influenced the entire comic book community.


  • In Torch Song Trilogy
    Torch Song Trilogy

    Torch Song Trilogy is a collection of three plays by Harvey Fierstein rendered in three acts: International Stud, Fugue in a Nursery, and Widows and Children First! The story centers on Arnold Beckoff, a torch song-singing Jewish people drag queen living in New York City in the late 1970 and 1980s....
    , the main character Arnold Beckoff says the Mourner's Kaddish for his murdered lover, Alan, much to the horror of his mother.


  • Kaddish For Uncle Manny" from the 4th season of Northern Exposure
    Northern Exposure

    Northern Exposure is a dramedy Television series. It was created by Joshua Brand-John Falsey Productions, which was recognized with a rare pair of consecutive Peabody Awards in 1991?92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a transplanted New York doctor and the townspeople of fictio...
     (first aired 5-3-93) relates to Joel's (Rob Morrow) seeking out of ten Jews in remote Alaska to join him for Kaddish in memory of his recently departed Uncle Manny in New York City. Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin) takes to Alaska's airwaves and offers a cash stipend for Jews in KBHR's listening area to trek to Cicely in order to form a minyan, or the prerequisite ten adult males, to accompany his recital of the prayer. As strangers appear from nowhere, Joel realizes that his mitzvah to say Kaddish for his uncle is best accomplished through the presence of his new Cicely family, who although Gentile, are most near and dear to him as compared with ten 'mercenary' Jews who are unknown to him. The episode ends with Joel leading the townspeople through the service. The kadish family(Loud and Delys)reside in South Africa


  • Nobel prize laureate Imre Kertesz has written "Kaddish for an unborn child"


  • Zadie Smith's novel "The Autograph Man" revolves around Alex-Li Tandem, an dealer in autograph memorabilia whose whose father's Yahrzeit is approaching. The epilogue of the novel features a scene in which Alex-Li recites Kaddish with a minyan.


External links

  • chabad.org