|
What You Should Know When Considering Jewish Funeral Traditions
It is a Jewish funeral traditions not to leave the deceased unattended. The family or those conducting the funeral services must provide a Shomer, or watchmen, who will sit with the body until the burial. The very first person to be called upon a death is the rabbi, who decides upon a time for funeral proceedings. Funerals are typically held in the temple or synagogue, although many Jewish families are now opting for a graveside service only.
The Jewish custom calls for a closed casket and no viewing of the body because it is disrespectful to look at a person that is unable to look back.
Unless it is required by local laws, Jews do not take part in the embalming process, which is used for sanitation and temporary preservation of the body. Instead, the sacred society, called the Chevra Kadisha, prepares the body for burial. They perform the Taharah, a type of Jewish purification.
The body is bathed and dressed in shrouds, called Tachrichim, which is the traditional burial garment. It is a simple garment with no pockets that symbolizes the fact that we take nothing with us when we leave this world and that we will be judged by God on our deeds and merits and not material possessions.
Families are able to choose their own caskets and make decisions regarding funeral details, however Jewish custom calls for wooden caskets with no metal and no flowers at the funeral.
The actual funeral itself lasts around 20 or 30 minutes and consists of a reading of Psalms, other Scripture readings, and the eulogy. Either before or after the services, mourners perform K'riah, the rendering of the garment. While some mourners will tear their clothes, many people today simply attach a black ribbon to their clothing. As you can see, there are many Jewish funeral traditions that mourners of other faiths do not follow.
|
|
