Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has suggested an alternative for mourners who are unable to recite Kaddish because they are not praying in a minyan.
The United Synagogue and other communities under the Chief Rabbi’s authority require a minyan to take place in a physical space and do not count virtual gatherings on Zoom or other digital platforms.
In a letter to rabbis and rebbetzens,Rabbi Mirvis, who himself is in mourning for his father, has suggested that mourners instead recite the Hazkarah, the Memorial Prayer for a departed person.
At present, some rabbis recite the prayer in virtual services – but Rabbi Mirvis suggests mourners or those with yahrzeit could collectively say it.
