The owners of various communal bakeries attest that they are always the first to hear that a member of their community has died, as they are then required to quickly bake a large number of loaves for the bereaved family and those paying condolence visits. During the shiv'ah (week-long mourning period), mourners do not prepare their own food: their relatives and others belonging to the community supply all the food needed, including the bread.
Piles of loaves stacked along the tables are a typical feature of the mourners' tent in the Caucasian Jewish community. Another Caucasian Jewish practice is to put bread and salt on the windowsill in the home of the deceased, so that he or she "may depart with a full stomach."