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What You Should Learn When Appearing At A Jewish Funeral
A traditional Jewish funeral has certain elements to it. The main aim of these rituals is to honor the dead person, while being sensitive to his surviving family members. Generally, the specific customs carried out depends on the community the deceased person hailed from. But there are general customs that are observed at most burials.
Burial should take place as soon as possible. This is normally on the same day that the person has died. However, since it is not always possible to have all the family members around when the person dies, it may be necessary to delay the burial for sometime until all the mourners have arrived. It is up to the family to decide if they will delay the burial or not.
The casket is normally kept sealed at the memorial service. It is generally considered rude to look at someone who cannot look back at you. A plain and simple coffin is used. The coffin should be made from wood only as not metal parts are allowed, as metal does not decompose.
For the process of decomposition to take place naturally, embalming is not allowed. However, since Jewish customs are subject to local laws, it may be necessary to have the body embalmed. This is so as to satisfy the public health regulations set by the local council.
The memorial service should be completed within a few minutes. Flowers are not allowed, though some Rabbi's may make exceptions. Mourners are not allowed to greet the attendees until after the ceremony has been completed. Mourners accompany the deceased to their final resting place.
At a Jewish funeral, the attendees form a double line when leaving the site after the burial. The family members of the deceased walk through the pathway that has been formed. This gives an opportunity to the attendees to greet and offer words of comfort to the bereaved.
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