Jewish Funeral Program Template

Do Jewish Funerals Use Printed Programs?

Traditional Orthodox funerals follow a fixed liturgical order; whether a printed program is used is determined by the officiant.

Reform and Conservative funerals frequently do use printed programs — especially when the service includes guests unfamiliar with Jewish customs. A well-designed program helps non-Jewish attendees follow the Hebrew prayers, understand the sequence of events, and know when to stand, sit, or participate.

What to Include

A Reform Jewish funeral program typically has four sections:

Front cover. The deceased's name in both English and Hebrew, dates of birth and death (often including the Hebrew calendar dates), and the location and date of the service. Some families add a photograph or a meaningful quote.

Service order. List each element in sequence with a brief description:

1. Opening meditations — Psalms 23, 90, or other selections
2. Keriah — the ribbon-tearing ceremony (note that mourners tear their ribbon and recite the blessing Baruch Atah Adonai, Dayan HaEmet)
3. Readings — additional psalms, poems, or personal reflections
4. Hesped (eulogy) — names of speakers
5. El Maleh Rachamim — memorial prayer
6. Closing meditation
7. Instructions for the procession to the cemetery (if applicable)
8. Mourner's Kaddish — traditionally first recited at the graveside after burial; follow the officiant's order

Transliterations. The two prayers guests are most likely to want to follow are the Mourner's Kaddish and El Maleh Rachamim. Print the Hebrew text alongside a phonetic transliteration and an English translation. Your rabbi or cantor can provide the specific versions used by your congregation.

Back cover. Practical information: the shiva schedule (dates, times, address), charitable organizations accepting memorial donations in lieu of flowers, and a note of thanks from the family.

Formatting Tips

Keep the program to a single folded sheet (four panels). Mourners and guests are grieving — dense text and elaborate designs work against you. Use a legible serif or sans-serif font at 11–12 point minimum, with generous spacing between the Hebrew transliterations.

If the funeral includes music, list the musical selections with the performer's name. If non-family members are delivering eulogies or readings, include their names and their relationship to the deceased.

Do not include explicit pricing, advertisements for the funeral home, or QR codes linking to commercial services. The program is a liturgical document, not a marketing piece.

Considerations for Non-Jewish Guests

If a significant number of guests will be unfamiliar with Jewish funeral customs, add brief contextual notes in the program — not as a tutorial, but as quiet guidance. For example:

• Next to the keriah entry: "Mourners tear a ribbon to express grief"
• Next to the Kaddish: "This prayer, recited in Aramaic, praises and sanctifies God's name. All are welcome to read along."
• Next to the burial section: "Guests are invited to place a shovelful of earth on the casket — a mitzvah (sacred duty) of the highest order"

These notes prevent non-Jewish attendees from feeling lost without patronizing Jewish guests who know the customs already. A one-sentence gloss alongside each liturgical entry is enough.

Who Prepares the Program?

Typically a family member, a close friend, or the synagogue administrator. Most funeral homes do not prepare programs for Jewish services — it is not part of their standard package the way it often is for Christian funerals.

If you are the person coordinating this, start with the rabbi. They will give you the specific service order, the correct transliterations, and the names of speakers. Build the program around that skeleton. You can use any word processor or design tool — the result should be readable, not elaborate.

Allow at least a few hours for printing. If the funeral is tomorrow, most office supply stores can print and fold a simple half-sheet program on short notice.

Getting Help With the Details

The service order, prayer texts, and transliterations need to match what your rabbi and cantor actually plan to say and sing. Draft the program in consultation with them — do not pull transliterations from random internet sources, as variations in pronunciation and liturgical tradition can create confusion during the service.

Our Jewish Reform Funeral & Mourning Guide includes complete transliterations for the Mourner's Kaddish, El Maleh Rachamim, and Psalm 23 alongside the full funeral service structure — ready to adapt into your printed program.