[taxcontrol]

Please educate me.

I understand "Shiva" to be a Hindu god. Since that is obviously out of context, would someone explain to me what a "shiva call" is?

[little jeremiah]

I'm sure a Jew will answer you better, but here's my understanding:

Sitting shiva is the special mourning one does for a Jew who has died, honoring him and comforting the ones left behind.

[adam_az]

Pronounces "Shiv-uh," not "Shee-va" like the Indian god.

(excerpt from http://www.jewfaq.org/death.htm)

The next period of mourning is known as shiva (seven, because it lasts seven days). Shiva is observed by parents, children, spouses and siblings of the deceased, preferably all together in the deceased's home. Shiva begins on the day of burial and continues until the morning of the seventh day after burial. Mourners sit on low stools or the floor instead of chairs, do not wear leather shoes, do not shave or cut their hair, do not wear cosmetics, do not work, and do not do things for comfort or pleasure, such as bathe, have sex, put on fresh clothing, or study Torah (except Torah related to mourning and grief). Mourners wear the clothes that they tore at the time of learning of the death or at the funeral. Mirrors in the house are covered. Prayer services are held where the shiva is held, with friends, neighbors and relatives making up the minyan (10 people required for certain prayers).

[adam_az]

oops, http://www.jewfaq.org/death.htm

for some reason the trailing ) became part of the url.

[SJackson]

Without going into unnecessary detail, Shiva is generally a 7 day period of mourning beginning with the burial of the deceased. A Shiva call would be a condolence call paid at the home of the mourners.

[Hildy]

How to Pay a Shiva Call

Jewish law requires that close relatives of a deceased person sit shiva for seven days and sets forth very detailed instructions for their conduct. Visitors to the house of mourning also are expected to observe certain guidelines for "nichum avelim," or comforting mourners.

Steps:
1. Delay your visit until after burial. Jewish tradition holds that before interment, the grief of the bereaved is so intense that it precludes consolation by even close friends. Following the funeral, though, feel free to visit as often as you like, especially if you are a close friend of the family.

2. Avoid visiting on Shabbat (Friday at sundown through Saturday at sundown), as Jewish law prohibits sitting shiva on Shabbat.

3. Bring no flowers or gifts with you; instead, you may want to give a donation to the deceased's favorite charity or to a synagogue fund established in his or her memory.

4. Enter the living room with the friend or family member who met you at the door. Wait for the mourner to speak before you say anything. After that, a simple "I'm sorry," accompanied by a hug or a firm handshake is all you need to say.

5. Listen to what the mourner wants to say and respond accordingly. Most likely he or she will want to reminisce about the deceased, but if the topic is yesterday's stock market closings or tomorrow's weather forecast, just follow along.

6. Don't feel obliged to stay more than half an hour or so.

7. Write a note to the bereaved if you can't visit in person. If you were close to the deceased, phone calls also are usually much appreciated.

Tips: Because Jewish terms are translations from the Hebrew, spellings vary. For instance, the seven-day period of mourning can be correctly spelled shiva, shivah or shiv'a.

For many Jews, one of the most meaningful gestures you can make is to plant a tree in Israel in the deceased's memory through the Jewish National Fund.

If you are a close friend or neighbor of the family, you probably will want to provide food for the seudat havra'ah, the meal served to mourners when they return from the cemetery. You'll find detailed information on this and other aspects of shiva in many books, including the one we've listed.

[gargoyle]

...My thoughts too. Destroyer and Rebuilder, maybe?