◆ Yahrzeit Calculator
Calculate Yahrzeit dates from a Gregorian date of death. Shows the Hebrew date of death and the next 20 years of Yahrzeit anniversaries with their Gregorian dates — all computed algorithmically.
About the Yahrzeit
A Yahrzeit (Yiddish for "year's time") is the annual anniversary of a loved one's passing, observed on the Hebrew calendar date of death. Each year, on the Yahrzeit, families light a memorial candle (ner neshama) that burns for 24 hours, recite Kaddish, and may give tzedakah (charity) in memory of the deceased. The custom is rooted in the obligation to honor the departed, based on the verse "May the soul be bound up in the bond of life" (1 Samuel 25:29).
Special Cases in the Hebrew Calendar
- Death in Adar of a leap year: If death occurred in Adar I (the added month of a leap year), the Yahrzeit is observed in Adar II in non-leap years.
- Death on 30 Cheshvan or 30 Kislev: These dates exist only in "full" Hebrew years. In "deficient" years, the Yahrzeit is observed on the 29th of that month.
- Death on 30 Adar I: Observed on 30 Sh'vat in non-leap years.
This calculator handles all these edge cases automatically. The Hebrew date of death is computed first, then projected forward year by year, with adjustments for leap years and variable month lengths.
Yizkor
In addition to the personal Yahrzeit, the Yizkor memorial prayer is recited communally four times a year in synagogue: on Yom Kippur, Shmini Atzeret, the last day of Passover, and the second day of Shavuot (in the Diaspora). Those observing a Yahrzeit also recite Yizkor.