Grief and the road to resilience

Grief and the road to resilience 
Jewish Journal; by Chaim Steinmetz; 8/2/25 
Mourning is unfashionable. A popular platitude is that funerals are meant to be a “celebration of life.” This seemingly innocuous phrase is actually a subtle form of peer pressure, demanding the heartbroken mourners remain upbeat so they don’t drag the mood down for the rest. The bereaved are counseled to look for “closure” and find a way to continue with their lives. ... This is a picture of mourning done wrong, an unwillingness to encumber one’s heart with the ugly and unruly emotions of loss and bereavement. Judaism emphasizes the importance of mourning; it affirms an ethics of memory, which obligates us to continue to honor our deceased family and friends. It is unthinkable for someone to pass away and for everyone else to just “move on” afterwards. Love demands that we mourn. Beyond the moral imperative, Judaism recognizes that mourning is transformative. Grieving is the first step towards resilience.