Zoom shiva and shmira

amother

Sun, May 03 2020, 11:47 am

Those of you who unfortunately had to sit shiva under current circumstances, did you set up zoom for the shiva calls?
If yes, can you please give me some pointers? I have the free zoom account already. Do I set up certain times when people can login? I don’t recall if there is a limit on participants with free zoom.
The levaya is most probably tomorrow, since chevra kadisha is backed up. Should I set up zoom starting Tuesday?
What about shmira? I doubt they will allow anyone near my dad. Can we just do it virtually, even if no hookup available?

Eemaof3

Sun, May 03 2020, 12:02 pm

In the midst of this now. DH set up specific times during the day (late morning, mid afternoon, and post evening minyan which is also virtual) so people can log in. Also heard of people setting up specific times with individuals and keeping track on a Google document but I don't know how that works -- maybe people sign up on the document.
For levaya, make sure you have a platform for 100+ people if you think it will be large. we had people who could not log on.
Hamakom yenachem

amother

Sun, May 03 2020, 12:13 pm

Thank you. I don’t think we’ll do zoom for levaya. Just for shiva.
Is phone enough or I need a bigger screen?
There are only 2 people who are sitting shiva. My mom and I. I happen to be an only child.
I’m also thinking of sitting on our porch at certain hours so people can walk or drive by if they want to.

amother

Plum

Sun, May 03 2020, 12:21 pm

I'm so sorry for your loss and for the pain of sitting shiva under the current circumstances.

A free Zoom account is not so useful for sitting shiva. As I understand it, you only get 40 minutes at a time for each meeting and the meeting ID keeps changing for each meeting so it's difficult for people to keep track of which ID to use when. When we were sitting shiva, my most tech savvy brother set everything up. I know he paid for an account for the month to make it simpler. We also used the waiting room feature so that he admitted "visitors" one or two at a time so we could concentrate on talking to each person and not be overwhelmed by multiple callers at once.

amother

Coffee

Sun, May 03 2020, 12:25 pm

Porch is a great idea. My mom recently sat - she was inside and people called when they arrived and she would come out on the porch and sit there.

amother

Sun, May 03 2020, 12:25 pm

amother [ Plum ] wrote:

Thanks. I’ll research it today. Need to keep my mind occupied while waiting for levaya 😭

amother

Sun, May 03 2020, 12:28 pm

amother [ Coffee ] wrote:

Porch is a great idea. My mom recently sat - she was inside and people called when they arrived and she would come out on the porch and sit there.

Yes. And the weather seems to be better this week. I just need to ask my husband to dismantle a wheelchair ramp that we built for my dad. I can’t imagine sitting outside and looking at it.

amother

Seashell

Sun, May 03 2020, 12:35 pm

I sat shiva alone twice once in December for my mom I only got two visitors my dad passed away on pesach so I got no visitors and didn’t think of sitting on my porch a few family members called I saw the funeral that was held in isreal online he had a minyan

amother

Sun, May 03 2020, 12:47 pm

amother [ Seashell ] wrote:

I’m so sorry to hear that. I got an idea of the porch because it was such a nice weather last Shabbos and we were sitting on a porch and got to have a few lovely conversations with our neighbors.

amother

Aqua

Sun, May 03 2020, 1:44 pm

Hamakom yenakhem etekhem betokh shaar avelay tziyon viyrushalayim.

המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים

BH, I haven’t had shiva, but our shul sets them up, and I have “attended.” Yes, you set times. And yes, according to the people I’ve spoken to, the lack of contact is difficult, but it it helpful.