The kaddish prayer which is recited in the eleven month period has no mention of death. It is essentially a testimony of faith made in the face of loss and of the vagaries of the world. The essential theme is that we obligate ourselves to work for the coming of G-d's kingdom - that is, for a better world and for the establishment of peace in our hearts and in the world about us.

A wife or husband are not bound by Jewish Law to say Kaddish for the entire period although they are bound to sit Shiva. However, they may say Kaddish, for the psychological truth is that no matter how closely children are involved with parents, those who suffer the greatest loss are the husband or wife and, therefore, the action symbol which Kaddish represents is likely to be a primary necessity for them, as well as an example to their children.

Mourner's Kaddish Yit-gadel ve-yit-kadash shemi raba, b'alma divra khir'utei ve-yamlikh mal-khutei be-hayei-khon uve'yomei-khon uve-hayei di-khol beit yisrael ba-agala u-vizman kariv v'imru amen. Ye-hei shmei raba meva-rakh l'alam ul'almei 'almaya. Yit-barakh ve-yish-tabah ve-yitpa'ar ve-yitromam ve-yitnasei ve-yit-hadar ve-yit'aleh ve-yit-halal shmei di-kudsha brikh hu, l'eila l'ieila mikol bir-khata ve-shirata tush-be-hata ve-nehe-mata da-amiran b'alma, v'imru amen. Ye-hei shlama raba min shmaya ve-hayim aleinu v'al kol yisrael v'imru amen. Oseh shalom bimromav hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu v'al kol yisreael v'imru amen.