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
Adult bar and bat mitzvah Axelrad of Brandeis University officiated the first adult Bar and Bat Mitzvahs in the early 1970s. He encouraged the practice in all denominations of Judaism. Between 1995 and 2001, Hadassah held group adult Bat Mitzvah ceremonies for 180 women. In 2001, the Union for Reform Judaism created a guide on adult Bar and Bat Mitzvah programs which was adopted by 900 congregations. In 2002, the Conservative Movement adopted this guide as well. The process of becoming an adult Bar or Bat Mitzvah involves studying for a year or longer. It consists of Hebrew language, Jewish rituals, Torah readings, and Haftorah