Death is a topic that is avoided and seldom spoken about due to the distress and grief it transmits and also because of its intensity and ambiguity. Subsequently this may lead to a questioning of belief. A questioning of faith occurs due to the paradox of the existence of a just and merciful God and the occurrence of death. Adherent's beliefs may be strengthened or weakened.

Judaism is a life affirming tradition, which concedes that death is a natural unavoidable occurrence. As Earl Grollman explains "no form of human existence can escape the democracy of death." The beliefs of the Jewish tradition are expressed through the rituals which guide adherents in their grief. Deborah Lipstadt, a Jewish American contemporary history professor explains in her story, "The Lord War His" how she grew in faith...