Knowing about the mourner’s special connection to Kaddish raises questions: Which mourners recite the Kaddish? When is the mourner’s Kaddish recited? What is the difference between the Kaddish Yatom (“orphan’s Kaddish”), Kaddish Shalem (the “full Kaddish”), and the Kaddish Hagadol (“burial Kaddish”), and when is each recited by a mourner? Even once past the first year of mourning, mourners may wonder when to say Kaddish for Yahrzeit, the day of the anniversary of death.
Answering these questions involves understanding the process of grief – and ultimate consolation – prescribed for the mourner’s journey through the Torah’s infinite wisdom.

The Burial Kaddish
The first time the mourner’s Kaddish is recited is during the burial of a deceased parent, Bereaved children are usually the ones to recite the mourner’s Kaddish prayer at the graveside. Saying the specific text of this mourner’s Kaddish, fulfills the ancient custom dating back to the times of the Geonim in the first millenia.
The only time this text of this “Kaddish Hagadol” – the burial Kaddish written in Aramaic – is recited by mourners only at the graveside. It powerfully affirms belief in an era to come: An era when the world will be renewed, and when all those who once lived upon its earth will be recalled to life. he Kaddish prayer for the dead is  a declaration of faith in G-d, Who directs our lives and cares for us in moments of both joy and loss. Through this Jewish prayer for the dead, the bereaved ask that their future reunion with all those who have left this world come speedily.

Kaddish the First Year
The mourner’s obligation to recite the Kaddish does not stop following the funeral: For eleven months following the passing of a parent, sons of the departed person have an obligation to recite Kaddish in memory of their parent, during the 3 daily prayers. But understanding what that involves means understanding what the Kaddish’s function is in the daily prayer services. What is Kaddish?
Simply put, Kaddish is a prayer recited at various points throughout the daily prayer order. Since it is intended to mark the conclusion of a segment in davening, there are a few different texts of the Kaddish, which are each used at a different point in the services, All preferably of the following Kaddish prayers should be recited by a mourner on behalf of his departed loved one:

• Kaddish Shalem – the Kaddish with the longest text – also known as the full Kaddish is recited following Shemoneh Esrei, the silent prayer that constitutes the climax of the daily service Full Kaddish can be said by a mourner in his year of obligation.  
• At other points, shorter versions of that Kaddish, such as the Chatzi Kaddish (“half Kaddish”) and Kaddish D’rabanan (“Kaddish of the Rabbis” – so named because it includes a prayer for thewellbeing of our spiritual teachers), are said instead. Typically speaking, these prayers are recited by the chazan, the leader of the synagogal service.
• There is, one Kaddish reserved for mourners only – which earns it the appellation the Kaddish Yatom (“orphan’s Kaddish” or “mourner’s Kaddish”), which concludes the prayer service in its entirety. This mourner’s Kaddish is always recited by a mourner for one of his Kaddish obligations.

Since saying Kaddish elevates the soul of the deceased, it is ideal for a mourner to serve as the actual chazan throughout those first eleven months following the passing of a parent. That way, the child can say not just the mourner’s Kaddish, but every version of the Jewish Kaddish said throughout the service. If that is not possible, the mourner can just recite the Kaddish yatom, the mourner’s Kaddish.

Sign up to have the Mourner’s Kaddish Prayer Recited
Mourners who can not pray in a formal minyan (a prayer service of ten men) customarily hire an emissary to fulfill the obligation for them, since Kaddish can only be recited in the presence of ten men.
Children and other relatives of the deceased who cannot commit to attending minyan three times a day, can still have the mourner’s Kaddish recited on their parent’s behalf. Often family members hire someone else to recite the kaddish Yatom for  their loved one. Rebbe Meir Baal Haness Charities can designate someone to recite the Kaddish prayer in honor of your loved ones, ensuring that the merit of the Kaddish prayer accompanies the departed soul as it journeys towards its eternal reward.

Kaddish for Yahrzeit: The Mourner’s Kaddish Prayer & Anniversary of Death

The previously mentioned two obligations are for a mourner immediately after the passing of a parent. However, there is a third obligation of saying the Kaddish prayer for the dead. Let us explore when to say Kaddish for Yahrzeit and what the meaning of Yahrzeit is.
Jewish tradition teaches that the soul retains an emotional-spiritual connection to its physical body for the first year after death. After the first year, that connection largely breaks – but on the yahrzeit (the anniversary of death), the soul once again becomes aware of the place where its body lies. On the yahrzeit, the soul is also judged anew: If its legacy in this world caused positive change, it ascends ever higher in Gan Eden, it’s eternal resting place. Whenever possible, therefore, descendants try to visit the gravesite on that day to recite Tehillim (Psalms) in memory of the departed. Yet even children living far from a parent’s burial place can still help bring merit to their deceased father or mother on the yahrzeit day through saying kaddish and fulfilling other customs (see below). The Yahrzeit day is another opportunity to say Kaddish Yatom. On the day of the Yahrzeit, when to say Kaddish for Yahrzeit of parents will once again be at the end of the prayers, which is where the full Kaddish is recited.
On the day of the Yahrzeit, each year, male children keep this third have an obligation to say the mourner’s Kaddish prayer. Those who cannot do so may instead hire a substitute to say the mourner’s Kaddish, a service that Rebbe Meir Baal Haness Charities also offers.

Sign up to have the Mourner’s Kaddish Prayer Recited

The Yahrtzeit Anniversary
There is a another custom fulfilled on a Yahrzeit aside from the Kaddish prayer for the dead, which is learning mishnayos for deceased loved ones. Descendants, relatives, and friends of the departed can complete a tractate or Order of Mishnah in time for the yahrzeit. The reason for this practice of learning mishnayos for Yahrzeit extends back to the great codifier of Jewish law, R. Yosef Karo, who explained that the letters of the word “Mishnah” are identical with those of “Neshama” (soul). Through the learning of the holy words of Mishnayos, a ladder of sorts is formed for the soul to climb to ever higher spiritual heights. This is the deeper meaning of learning mishnayos for Yahrzeit. Of course, learning mishnayos for deceased family members also brings all the merits associated with any Torah learning, bringing an elevation of their soul. In this area as well, Rebbe Meir Baal Haness Charities can help fulfill this custom of learning mishnayos for Yahrzeit by arranging for Torah scholars to complete Mishnayos on the yahrtzeit of a loved one.