Bereavement in Judaism as Rosh Hashanah, cancel the mourning period completely. The thirty-day period following burial (including "shiva") is known as "shloshim" (). During "shloshim", a mourner is forbidden to marry or to attend a "seudat mitzvah" (religious festive meal). Men do not shave or get haircuts during this time. Since Judaism teaches that a deceased person can still benefit from the merit of "mitzvot" (commandments) performed in their memory, it is considered a special privilege to bring merit to the departed by learning Torah in their name. A popular custom is to coordinate a group of people who will jointly study the
Society for the Advancement of Judaism for Judith Kaplan, daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan. Society for the Advancement of Judaism The Society for the Advancement of Judaism is a synagogue and Jewish organization in New York City, on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Founded in 1922 by Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, the synagogue is affiliated with the Reconstructionist Jewish movement. The current rabbi is Lauren Grabelle Herrmann, who succeeded Michael Strassfeld on 1 July 2015. Moshe Nathanson, composer of Hava Nagilah, was Cantor of the SAJ during Kaplan's tenure. The first American Bat Mitzvah was held at the Society for the Advancement