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What is Kaddish?
Kaddish is most commonly referred to as the "Mourning Prayer" as it is recited for the deceased.

When did the practice of saying Kaddish start?
It is said to have been started by Rabbi Akiva, one of the great sages of the Mishna and Talmud around 200 AD.

For whom does one say Kaddish ?
Kaddish is said for any Jew who has passed on from this world.

Who is the person that should be saying Kaddish?
Preferably, the deceased's eldest son should recite the Kaddish prayer. If the diseased person had no sons or if the son is unable to recite the prayer, then Kaddish can be recited by a relative or a friend or another Jew. It is customary that one may also hire someone else to recite the Kaddish on their behalf. This a practice dates back over 500 years.

When is the Kaddish said?
Kaddish is said on the day of the Yahrtzeit (on the yearly anniversary of the passing away according to the Jewish Calendar) Kaddish is also recited three times daily, every day for the first eleven months after the persons passing away.

What are the requirements for saying Kaddish?
Kaddish needs to be said in the presence of a Minyan, a quorum of ten, and only after the recitation of Torah verses said in prayer or in study, either scripture or Talmud.

Why do we say a Mishna along with the Kaddish prayer?
In Hebrew, the soul is called "Neshama". Neshama is spelled with the same letters as the word Mishna. Therefore, when fulfilling the requirement to recite verses of Torah before the Kaddish, Mishna is preferable.

If Kaddish was never said for an individual, even years after passing, can Kaddish still be said for them?
Yes, no matter if a Jew had a traditional burial or not, the Kaddish can and should be said on the Yahrtzeit, annually.

How can someone say Kaddish for another they've never even met?
The Torah tells us that all Jews are responsible for one another - in all respects In fact, there is a tradition of reciting the Kaddish for "Meisei Olam", the collective of all Jews who have passed on who may not have someone saying Kaddish on their behalf.

When did we start hiring other people to say Kaddish?
The practice of hiring someone to say Kaddish dates back at least to the 500 years.