Death & Burial

Judaism does not shy away from close encounters with death, but frames them ritually. Much attention is paid to treating the dead (and even a dead body) with respect (k’vod ha-met) and to comforting mourners (nichum aveilim).

Based on Jewish laws, traditions and customs, a Jewish funeral usually takes place within 48 hours following the date of death (as long as that does not fall on Shabbat) and these are solemn and reflective services followed by a gathering at the mourner’s home, which marks the beginning of shiva.

Key Beliefs Reinforced in the Ritual

Jewish Mourning Traditions - Torah Study

Key Symbols of the Funeral Rite

The Star of David – symbol of protection

The Menorah- an ancient Jewish symbol

The Mosaic Dialogue – the ten commandments

Cohanim hands – sign of a true priest

The Ewer or Levi Pitcher – washes the priests hands before the service

The Yartzeit – commemoration ritual for Jewish people

Pentateuch scroll – represents the first five book of the Old Testament.

The Lion – symbol of the strength of Judaism.

Key Actions of the funeral ritual

Entering the chapel
Initial Remarks and Prayers (Psalm 23 is read)
The Eulogy
Mourning Family Exiting the Chapel
Casket Removed from Chapel
Funeral Procession to the Cemetery

At the Graveside

Bringing the casket to the grave
Reciting prayers and lowering the casket
Graveside ceremony and prayers
The Mourners Kaddish
Covering the casket with Earth (dirt)

Grief & Mourning

The Mourning period is successively less intense; many Jews and non-Jews view the Jewish process of mourning as psychologically wise. Its traditional elements are: shiva, seven days during which mourners are visited at home by family and community, and participate in prayer services held at home; sheloshim, the first 30 days of mourning, during which mourners return to their normal routine but refrain from many customary pleasurable activities; and, for those who have lost a parent, 11 months of aveilut (mourning), during which Kaddish is recited daily.

Summary: The Five Steps of the Jewish Funeral

1. Bereavement- Bereavement is the state of sorrow from the death of a loved one.

2. The three days following burial- In the first three days following the burial, the family normally has family and friends visit them. But sometimes the visitors become discouraged to visit because they believe the loss of the loved one is too fresh for the family.

3. Shiva- The Shiva starts straight after the casket is buried. Mourners who don’t go to the cemetery start Shiva around the same time the coffin is buried. It goes for 7 days later after the morning prayer service.

4. Shloshim- After the funeral, prohibitions continue to be affecting the family and friends who lost the loved one. Some people cut their hair, change their clothes, cut their nails, wear new clothes and start attending parties.

5. Twelve month period- After the death, the mourners start the counting of the twelve months, which starts at the day of the death. It is important that it’s a full year because if it’s a leap year, it won’t work. The mourner’s Caddish is recited during the twelve months at the end of each prayer service because it helps the mourner calm. The caddish is a hymn which has praises to god, it has to be performed in the open with at least 10 men surrounding.

Controversies around Burial Rites

In Judaism, there are certain connotations surrounding tattoos, piercings, amputation, cremation and suicide when it comes to burial. While the Talmud and Halacha are clear on these issues and that none is acceptable in Jewish cemeteries, modern interpretations are more subjective, and it is increasingly rare for a deceased member of the Jewish faith to be denied burial virtually anywhere based on the circumstances surrounding his or her death. Read on for more on how each situation is handled.

TATTOOS

It has long been thought that anyone with a tattoo cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery, and while the Torah officially prohibits tattoos, such individuals are by no means banned from Jewish cemeteries. Thus this particular line of thinking is a myth.

“Tattoos are frowned upon and in many cases a violation of Halacha,” says Rabbi Ed Farber, from Miami’s Temple Beth Torah, “but so is stealing and adultery and we bury them in Jewish cemeteries, and in my book tattoos are just not as bad!”

PIERCINGS

Piercings, while also frowned upon, are even less of an issue in Judaism when it comes to burial. In fact, piercings are mentioned in the Tanakh (canon of the Hebrew Bible) as being worn by the Hebrews, and earrings have historically been acceptable forms of adornment for Jewish women.

AMPUTATION

The same non-exclusion is applied to amputees, according to Farber, who says it is customary to purchase a plot before or immediately following an amputation and “bury the severed limb there to receive the rest of the body at the time of death.” But, says Farber, this is not mandatory, and no deceased person should be refused plots based on amputations.

CREMATION

The issue of cremation is very much a unique one. There are different schools of thought, and the general consensus is that one's wish to be cremated is not in accordance with Jewish traditions, so the deceased in this case is often not interred at a Jewish cemetery. However, if an individual who was cremated also wished to be have his or her ashes buried at a Jewish cemetery, that request is usually accommodated with help from the next of kin and/or children of the deceased.

SUICIDE

The same controversy accompanies the delicate issue of suicide, which is officially considered a criminal act in the Talmud and thus grounds for refusal at Jewish cemeteries, but modern views have changed, and it generally varies based on the cemetery’s policies and practices. Likewise, shiva for those who have committed suicide is a perpetually debated issue, and is ultimately at the discretion of the family in mourning.

Ultimately, there is one prevailing unofficial “law” that, especially in modern times, trumps traditional post-mortem practices: To deny burial under any circumstances would itself be a violation of the sanctity and importance Judaism places upon the deceased. Additionally, many rabbis are quick to point out the Torah's commandment that even condemned criminals be buried properly after execution, and that the notion of virtually anyone being denied burial in a Jewish cemetery, for any reason, is an outright myth.

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