Join us as we mark the pandemic’s American yahrzeit with a week of conversation, reflection and mourning

(JTA) — Like the rest of the country, we at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency are deeply engaged with the one-year anniversary of the American pandemic experience — a yahrzeit of sorts as we mourn the lives we lost, and the life we put on pause, because of COVID-19.

Together with our colleagues across 70 Faces Media, we’ve put together a slate of programming and stories to mark this difficult moment.

At the center of our coverage is a memorial wall where we have collected names of Jews who died in the pandemic. As the death toll of the pandemic rocketed upward, our original Bonds of Life project became unsustainable. The memorial wall, while far from comprehensive, is intended to convey the breadth and depth of the loss we have all experienced. To add a name to the wall, please click this link.

You’ll be able to identify elements of our anniversary coverage by looking for the “One Year In” logo. We’ll also maintain an index at the end of the post.

And you can sign up here to join us for these events where together we can explore aspects of our communal experience. All of the conversations will be made available for those who cannot join in at at the time.

• Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET: Grief & Mourning During the Pandemic: Explore how this extended period of communal, and personal, mourning has changed Jewish mourning practices and what we can learn from our collective grieving those we’ve lost.
• Wednesday, 2:30 p.m. ET: A Jewish Approach to Medical Ethics During the Pandemic: Leading experts on medical ethics in Jewish thought explore issues involved in virus transmission, hospital triage, vaccination, and more.
• Thursday, 4 p.m. ET: How We Covered the Jewish World This Year: Meet the editors behind all of 70 Faces Media’s publications — JTA, My Jewish Learning, Kveller, Alma, The Nosher, and the New York Jewish Week — to learn how they created and edited the stories that impacted the Jewish community throughout the year.
• Friday, 4 p.m. ET: Stress-busters for Parents: A Guided Jewish Meditation: Join Rabbi Danielle Upbin for a short relaxation experience, with tips for steeling yourself for the still-difficult months ahead. Open to parents and everyone else who needs it!