According to Jewish law, an individual is considered a mourner if he or she is a parent, child, sibling or spouse of the deceased. As adoption has become commonplace more and more, one should consider and discuss the responsibilities of adopted children and adoptive parents when faced with the death of an individual of the Jewish faith. Jorge Casariego, M.D., a board-certified psychiatrist who has dealt with issues of mourning and loss, maintains, “An adoptive parent should be treated like any other parent. And an adopted child should be treated like any other child. There should be no distinction. A loss is a loss. The process of mourning is an emotional one for everyone.”