Jewish Death Milestones

I have found that during experiences of intense upheaval and overwhelming sorrow, like the death of a loved one, it can be very grounding to focus on physical things that exist outside the grief. A pillow doesn’t object to being punched or screamed into; a kitchen drain doesn’t mind being turned into a metaphor. These sorts of everyday objects are powerful in their ubiquity. They can serve as a reminder that even though we can feel practically consumed by grief at times, the world always keeps on going. 

This is why I chose to use everyday objects to explain Jewish death rituals and Jewish afterlife. Grief can be such a heady and disorienting emotion that sometimes it’s helpful to attach that grief onto objects that cannot feel, and by doing so, grounding your emotions while still letting yourself feel. I organized this animated zine through choosing objects that I felt best represented the milestones of Jewish grief and moving through the Jewish afterlife.

Project length: 5 days

Medium: Micron Pen, Photoshop