Yizkor Dates
Here is a list of days when Yizkor is to be recited for the following years:
| Passover | Shavuot | Yom Kippur | Shemini Atzeret | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | April 9 (In Israel, April 8) |
May 23 (In Israel, May 22) |
September 21 | October 3 |
| 2027 | April 29 (In Israel, April 28) |
June 12 (In Israel, June 11) |
October 11 | October 23 |
| 2028 | April 18 (In Israel, April 17) |
June 1 (In Israel, May 31) |
September 30 | October 12 |
| 2029 | April 7 (In Israel, April 6) |
May 21 (In Israel, May 20) |
September 19 | October 1 |
| 2030 | April 25 (In Israel, April 24) |
June 8 (In Israel, June 7) |
October 7 | October 19 |
What Is Yizkor?
Yizkor, the memorial prayer for departed loved ones, is said four times a year: The eighth day of Passover, the second day of Shavuot, Yom Kippur, and Shemini Atzeret.
In Israel, where the holiday calendar is somewhat different, we say Yizkor on: The 7th day of Passover, Shavuot (there is only one day), Yom Kippur and Simchat Torah (which is combined with Shemini Atzeret).
The text of the prayer asks G‑d that the souls of our loved be “bound up in the bond of life with the souls of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, and with the other righteous men and women who are in Gan Eden” in merit of the charity that we give in their honor.
Yizkor is recited at synagogue during the morning services after Torah reading. In many communities, those whose parents are still alive leave the sanctuary for the duration of this short service.
Note: Some people have the custom to light a 24-hour candle on the evening before Yizkor is said. When Yizkor coincides with Shabbat, be sure to light this candle in the afternoon, before lighting the Shabbat/holiday candles. And whenever lighting a candle during the holiday, be sure to use a pre-existing flame and not to extinguish the match when done.
What does “be sure to light from pre-existing flame” mean? I’m confused because then it continues “and not to extinguish the match when done”. Could you explain the exact process? According to this im not sure I’ve been correct and would like to be more accurate. Thank you
Sure! Happy to help. Once the holiday starts, we may not light a flame from scratch, therefore before the holiday starts we light a yahrtzeit candle (the candles that last 24 or 48 hours) and then can use that flame on the holiday itself to light candles or a gas fire.