How a yahrzeit date is calculated
Follow the source date, sunset context and family custom before making a reminder.
Original Pinkas illustrations · Synthetic narration · September 28, 2026
Transcript
Begin with the source
A yahrzeit reminder begins with a source. Find the recorded date of death, and keep the certificate, inscription or family record that supports it.
Check the evening boundary
The Hebrew calendar day begins in the evening. Whether the death was before or after local sunset can change the recorded Hebrew date. If the time is unknown, keep that uncertainty visible.
Make the custom explicit
A memorial anniversary is not always a simple civil-date conversion. Adar, changing month lengths, and some first-year questions require the family custom to be made explicit. Ask your rabbi when the rule is uncertain.
Keep the date and its reason
Use the Pinkas calculator to make a schedule, then verify it. Keep the source, the selected custom and the preceding evening with each reminder, so the next generation knows how the date was chosen.