Shiva (Jewish seven-day mourning)

Shiva is the seven-day formal mourning period that begins immediately after a Jewish burial. The seven close mourners — parents, children, siblings, and spouse — typically stay at home, sit on low chairs or stools, and receive visitors. Mirrors are often covered. Many mourners avoid shaving, hair-cutting, wearing leather shoes, or working, though the exact observance varies significantly across UK communities.

Religious services are usually held in the home each evening so mourners can recite the mourner's Kaddish without leaving the house. Visitors traditionally wait for the mourner to speak first; the standard condolence is "May the Almighty comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem."

Reform and Liberal families often shorten the period to three days, or to the time between the burial and the next Shabbat. Whatever the length, shiva ends in the morning of the final day with a short ritual marking the mourner's re-entry into the wider community.

Shiva is followed by shloshim (the second, less intense 30-day stage), the eleven-month Kaddish recitation for a parent, and the annual yahrzeit on the Jewish-calendar anniversary of the death.

→ Jewish funeral customs in the UK · Faith-specific funerals

Last verified: 2 May 2026 against the United Synagogue, JJBS, and Liberal Judaism published guidance.