Create Shivah
Your Complete Jewish Funeral & Shiva Planning Guide
A Free, Fillable Resource for Families and Community Organizers
When a loved one passes away, families face a difficult reality: Jewish mourning traditions move quickly, and there is a great deal to coordinate — often within 24–48 hours. Between funeral arrangements, notifying the community, preparing the shiva home, and organizing meals and minyan, it is easy to feel overwhelmed.
That is why we created a free, fillable Funeral & Shiva Planning Guide — a comprehensive document that helps families and community organizers gather every important detail in one place, share it easily, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
This guide walks you through how to use it, what it covers, and how SittingShivah.com can help you coordinate with your community every step of the way.
Download the Free Planning Guide
The guide is a fillable Word document you can complete and share with anyone helping coordinate — the rabbi, synagogue office, friends organizing meals, or family members managing logistics.
Download the Free Planning Guide
What the Guide Covers
The planning guide is organized into ten sections, covering every stage from the moment of loss through the final day of shiva.
1. About the Deceased
Capture the full name, Hebrew or Yiddish name, dates of birth and passing, and the relationship to the family — the essential information everyone will need.
2. Immediate Mourners (Aveilim)
List the names and contact information for those observing shiva, so helpers and community members know who to reach out to.
3. Funeral Details
Record the date, time, location of the service, burial site, officiant, eulogists, and whether a livestream will be available.
4. Day-of-Funeral Checklist
A step-by-step checklist covering K'riah ribbons, hand-washing setup, the Seudat Havra'ah (first meal after burial), lighting the yahrzeit candle, and more.
5. Shiva Schedule
A full seven-day grid for shiva locations, hours, minyan times, and any planned closures — easy to share with the entire community.
6. House Preparations Checklist
Everything needed to prepare the shiva home: covering mirrors, arranging seating, setting up a greeter, gathering supplies, and coordinating with the synagogue for borrowed items.
7. Food & Hospitality
Capture kashrut level, dietary restrictions, meal train coordinator, food drop-off times, caterer information, and plans for leftover food.
8. Religious Customs & Preferences
Document minyan requirements, the family's nusach, prayer book needs, and any customs specific to the family's tradition.
9. Important Links & Announcements
A central place to record the obituary link, memorial donation fund, Zoom shiva link, congregation announcement plan, and the family's SittingShivah page.
10. Full Coordination Checklist
A comprehensive task list — 28 items from the first call to the funeral home through the final walk around the block at the end of shiva — with space to assign a responsible person to each task.
How to Use the Guide
Step 1: Download the Word document using the link above.
Step 2: Fill in what you know. You do not need to complete every section at once — start with the most urgent details (funeral home, date, immediate mourners) and fill in the rest as plans take shape.
Step 3: Share the completed guide with everyone involved in coordinating — the rabbi, synagogue office, family members, and close friends who are helping.
Step 4: Use SittingShivah.com to create a free shiva page that shares all of this information — shiva schedule, meal coordination, donation links, and community announcements — in one organized link you can send to everyone.
Tip: The planning guide and a SittingShivah page work together. The guide helps you gather the details; SittingShivah helps you communicate them to your community.
How SittingShivah Can Help
SittingShivah.com is a free tool built specifically for Jewish families navigating loss. Once you have your shiva details organized, create a page to:
✅ Share funeral and shiva details with your entire community in one link
✅ Coordinate a meal train and minyan coverage
✅ Allow loved ones to easily send meals, food baskets, and support
✅ Post real-time updates as plans change
✅ Reduce the burden of phone calls, texts, and repeated explanations
➡️ See an example of what a shiva page looks like:
SittingShivah.com – Example Page
Need Help Getting Started?
If you are in the middle of planning and would like help setting up a shiva page, we are here. Reach out to us directly and a member of our team will help you get everything organized.
There is no cost, no obligation, and no technical knowledge required. We just want to make sure your family and community have what they need.
Related Resources
➡️ How to Plan a Shiva
➡️ What to Do When a Loved One Passes Away
➡️ Create Your Free Shiva Page
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in the free planning guide? The guide covers ten sections: information about the deceased, immediate mourners, funeral details, a day-of checklist, the full shiva schedule, house preparation, food and hospitality, religious customs, important links and announcements, and a 28-item coordination checklist with space to assign responsibilities.
Who should fill out the planning guide? Anyone helping coordinate — a close family member, a friend who has stepped in to organize, or the synagogue office. It is designed to be completed once and shared with everyone involved.
Do I need a SittingShivah account to use the guide? No. The planning guide is a standalone Word document, free to download and use. SittingShivah is a separate (also free) tool that helps you share and communicate shiva details with your community.
How does SittingShivah work? You create a free page at SittingShivah.com with your shiva details — dates, times, addresses, meal coordination, and more. You then share a single link with family, friends, and your congregation. Anyone with the link can see the details, sign up to bring food, and send support directly to the family.
What if I need help setting up a page? Reach out to us at sittingshivah.com/contact and we will help you get set up. There is no cost and no technical knowledge required.