May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism - Yizkor (Prayers of Awe)
On four holidays - Yom Kippur, Passover, Succoth, and Shavuoth-Ashkenazi Jews participate in a memorial service known as Yizkor (May God Remember). Prayers are recited in remembrance of parents and other deceased relatives. Often, Holocaust martyrs and those who died in defense of Israel are also memorialized. Hoffman, professor of liturgy at Hebrew Union College and prolific author, has brought together 30 scholars who have contributed erudite essays on the history, theology, and contemporary understanding of Yizkor. An annotated and translated version of the prayer is presented with appendices offering its music and the Sephardic version. Aside from Hoffman's learned introduction, the most impressive part of the book consists of 21 essays in the section "Interpretations and Reflections." The authors wrestle with such profound questions as what happens after death, the purpose of Yizkor, mortality, dynamics of death, and remembering. Penetrating ideas about death and dying are thoughtfully explored, making this a book of use to others beside the Ashkenazi Jews who recite Yizkor.