A Jewish family traditionally sits shiva for the death of loved ones after their funeral. But what happens when a loved one goes missing for five years? What if they’re assumed to be dead, but not ...

It was a sad Sunday morning at my childhood synagogue. Two members of our community had passed away from cancer, and I remember the feelings I had watching their children recite the mourners’ kaddish.

Shulman is senior rabbi of Congregation Beth El in La Jolla and a member of The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Community Advisory Board. He lives in La Jolla. After the recitation of psalms and eulogies, ...