Observance of Yarzeit When There is No Minyan

With shuls being closed during the COVID-19 scare, many men are now finding that their yarzeit observances have been curtailed as they can't say Kaddish, get an aliyah, or lead services.

Welcome to the club of many women who observe yarzeits without similar possibilities available (though I believe women may certainly say Kaddish when there is a minyan)!

The following is a letter I shared with my congregation before the holiday of Pesach.
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Dear Members and Friends

 A number of people have asked me about the recitation of Kaddish when there is no minyan available, so this is a note aimed at helping clear a few things up.

 If you are in Aveilus or will be observing a yahrzeit in the coming weeks, as we don't know when the shul will reopen, please consider printing the attached page (and perhaps this email as well), so it will be available for you.

 In the page, there are four sources, all labeled letters A, B, C, D.

 A&B are the same - in Hebrew, English, and transliteration. On account of the Kaddish motifs which appear in the prayer, there are opinions that recommend this "Al HaKol" prayer in lieu of Kaddish. In the footnote on that text, there is a recommendation from Sefer Hasidim to say the 3 verses in C in place of Kaddish.

 Section D is a prayer in the Artscroll Siddur that can be found right next to Barchu (just after Pesukei D'Zimrah). It too has Kaddish motifs in it, and I have recently heard of it being a recommended substitute for Kaddish as well, when one is praying alone.

 No matter which substitute you choose, it should serve as a merit for the Neshama of the Deceased, whether in the 11 months of Kaddish, or when observing the Yahrzeit.

 The remainder of this note appears on the Aliyah Policy Board in the lobby of Anshei Chesed, and aptly summarizes the activities one could undertake as a merit to the soul (ideas credited to Rabbi N Slifkin). Please note that all the advisories have nothing to do with getting an Aliyah, saying Kaddish, or leading services.

Yahrzeit Practices to Benefit the Soul

There are many things that can be done as a merit for the soul of the deceased. They include: lighting a candle, saying Tehillim, learning Mishnayot (any Torah suffices), making a siyum, giving others a chance to say Brachot , giving Tzedakah or a donation to the shul in memory of the loved one. You can sponsor the daily Daf Yomi class to provide an Aliyah La’Neshama or a Zecher La’Neshama 

1. Aliyah La’Neshama– an elevation of the person’s soul in the afterlife, that anyone can enable via studying Torah or performing good deeds for their sake, such as saying Brachot with them in mind. 

2. Zecher La’Neshama – creating a remembrance for the person in this world by honoring them. This can be done through the study of Torah in their memory, or through doing acts of kindness and charity in their memory.

3. Kapparah La’Neshama – providing atonement for the soul of the person in the afterlife, via prayer and/or charity.

4. Zechut La’Neshama – providing a merit for the person, limited to actions taken by direct descendants or blood relatives. The “merit” is automatic, based on how the descendant lives a Jewish life, and therefore serves as a credit to their deceased relative.