ROSH HASHANAH APPEAL
During the darkest times…
JBCS brings light
“I didn’t expect the holidays to hit me so hard.”
Rachel lost her husband to illness. There had been time to say goodbye, but no time to prepare for the emptiness that followed. In the weeks after the funeral, she busied herself with paperwork, phone calls, routines, and told herself she was coping.
But as Rosh Hashanah approached last year, something shifted.
“I thought I was managing,” Rachel told us. “But when I lit the candles, I broke down. Suddenly, I didn’t know how to ‘do’ it anymore, without him.”
She wasn’t alone in feeling that way.
An empty chair at the dining room table.
A voice missing from the ‘Shanah tovah’ calls.
Family photos that now hold more memories than people.
At the Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service, we hear stories like Rachel’s every day. Stories of people navigating grief at times when tradition and togetherness should bring comfort.
Grief doesn’t follow a timetable. It doesn’t wait for us to be ready. And it doesn’t pause for the holidays.
This year, many in our community will enter the High Holy Days carrying fresh wounds – some from personal loss, others from the collective grief brought on by recent events.
Since October 7th, we’ve been supporting people affected by the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza, the recent war with Iran, and by the continuing trauma of hostages still held in darkness.
For many, the pain is raw and immediate.
For others, watching from afar brings a deep sense of fear, helplessness, and loss.
Loss touches each of us differently, but no one should have to face it alone.
Rachel reached out to JBCS after a friend suggested she speak to someone. Through one-to-one counselling and later a support group, she found a lifeline – a space to talk honestly, cry freely, and begin to feel again.
“It didn’t fix me,” she says. “But I stopped pretending I was fine. I let myself feel sad, angry, and everything in between. And in doing that, I started to heal.”
We offer that lifeline to people of all ages and backgrounds – from children trying to understand the loss of a parent, to adults like Rachel learning to live life differently.
We work with schools, run support groups, and offer one-to-one counselling – all delivered by trained professionals who understand the emotional and spiritual layers of bereavement.
This Rosh Hashanah, you can help bring light into someone’s darkest time.
As we enter the New Year – a time of reflection, remembrance and renewal – please consider making a donation to support the work of JBCS. Your gift will help ensure no one has to face loss alone.
Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, healthy, and sweet New Year.