For a house of mourning
Kosher Shiva Gift Baskets
A kosher shiva gift basket feeds the family and the visitors who come to comfort them. Dried fruit, nuts and sweets that keep well through the week, packed to travel and shipped free anywhere in the U.S.
What to send to a shiva house
Food is the traditional gift. A family sitting shiva does not cook, and their home fills with visitors for seven days — so a shiva gift basket is genuinely useful rather than merely symbolic. Choose something that keeps: dried fruit, nuts and sweets sit out on a table all week and can be shared with whoever arrives. Flowers are not part of Jewish mourning and are better avoided.
What size shiva basket to choose
Judge by the household and the traffic. For a small family, a 37 oz box or a 42 oz tray is ample. For a busy shiva house receiving visitors all day, or for a group of colleagues sending together, the 50 oz tin tray or the 63 oz oval basket is the more useful gift. If you are sending from an office, one larger basket reads better than several small ones.
When to send it
As early as you can — the first days are the busiest, and food that arrives on day one gets used all week. If you have missed shiva entirely, a gift during shloshim (the thirty days) is still welcome, and often lands at a quieter moment when the visitors have gone.
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What is a shiva gift basket?
A shiva gift basket is a kosher food gift sent to a family sitting shiva. Because the household does not cook during the seven days and receives visitors throughout, a basket of dried fruit, nuts and sweets feeds both the mourners and everyone who comes to comfort them.
What is an appropriate gift to send to a shiva?
A kosher gift of food is the classic, welcome gesture. Dried fruit, nut and sweet trays are ideal because they keep well across the whole week and are easy to set out and share. Flowers are not traditional in Jewish mourning.
How much should you spend on a shiva gift basket?
Most people send between $50 and $80 individually. A group sending together — an office, a shul committee, a circle of friends — usually sends one larger basket instead, in the $80 to $150 range.
Is everything kosher?
Yes. Our dried fruit and nut gifts are Star-K kosher certified, so they can be received in any observant home without hesitation. Freshly prepared items are certified by the kitchen that makes them; ask us and we will confirm the hechsher before you order.
Can I include a personal message?
Yes — you can add a personal note at checkout, and we can include Hebrew if you like.