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If a synagogue member dies with no living family members remaining, who says the Mourner's Kaddish for them? Can anyone volunteer to say Kaddish for them?

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  • Why do you assume someone does? Maybe no one does. Does anyone sit Shiva?
    – Double AA
    Jun 25, 2014 at 19:42

1 Answer 1

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From an Ohr Same'ach ask the Rabbi article http://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/10/Q1/

Ideally the closest relative should say it. If there are none, a close friend, or in the case of a noted rav, one of his students. Technically, anyone can volunteer to say it.

In many synagogues I have attended, the rabbi is always saying Kaddish for someone who either has no family members and / or has family members but they are not religious, elderly, or for some other reason do not come to a daily minyan.

I am also aware of some organizations that pay people to say kaddish for others.

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  • I would add that in many synagogues the shammess gets paid to say kaddish for people as a way of supplementing his income.
    – Yitzchak
    Jun 25, 2014 at 20:14

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