Jewish Traditions

This section contains information and definitions of common Jewish traditions and terms.

• Aninut - Time period from death to burial. 
  • How soon after death should the funeral be held? - it is most appropriate to bury the deceased without undue delay, taking legal and logistical considerations into account.  This accords greater respect to the deceased as well as providing a psychological benefit to the mourners, who do not have to undergo the emotional pain of an unnecessary delay.  Setting the time of the funeral requires consultation with the Rabbi, the funeral director, and the cemetery.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
• Aron - The burial casket.  Traditionally, the casket should be made completely of wood, with holes at the bottom. The return of the human remains to the earth should be as swift as possible, in the belief that ultimately it helps to atone for our earthly transgressions and allowing for our eternal peaceful rest.  Our prophets tell us, “From earth you have come, and to earth you shall return.”
  • Choosing a casket - In choosing a casket, Jewish tradition mandates that ostentation should be avoided.  Jewish tradition maintains that vanity and pride are out of place in the funeral.  Wooden caskets disintegrate quickly, and therefore are most often selected by Jewish families.
• Avelut - Mourning.  Following the funeral service, the seven day period of Shiva begins.  The family lights the Shiva candle, then are served the meal of condolence by friends and loved ones, enabling them to focus on mourning.  The giving of Tzedakah, charity in memory of a loved one, is also traditional. 
  
  
• Shmira - The attending to and guarding of the deceased's body from death until burial. To show respect for the departed, the deceased is never left alone until after burial.  If desired, this service can be arranged for by the funeral home..
  
  
• Shomer - Guard or Watcher who traditionally reads Psalms and recites prayers on behalf of the deceased.
  
  
  • Why Shmira? - Because the human being embodies the God-given soul Neshama, it is deserving of the utmost respect. There are two primary reasons for Shmira:
  • To guard the deceased from becoming prey to rodents or insects.   This dates back to ancient times - before modern mortuaries and refrigeration.
  • Respect for the body which housed the soul during the person's lifetime is expressed by never leaving the body alone.  While the first reason may not apply in all situations such as where refrigeration and modern sanitary conditions exist, the second reason applies under all circumstances. The presence of a pious Jew reciting Psalms (T’hillim) specifically for the purpose of showing respect for the deceased person is a source of great comfort to the soul.
• Tahara - As a newborn child enters the world, the baby is washed and purified.  "As he came," writes Ecclisiastes, "so should he go". (Ecclesiastes 5:14)  Consequently, it is the traditional Jewish way of reverence for the deceased that when a person departs this world, he or she is washed and purified.  People with special training and religious piety perform the tahara - the sacred rites of washing and purification. In accordance with Jewish traditional law, men prepare men, while women prepare women. In most cases, the deceased is then dressed in white linen shrouds called 'tachrichim'.   Psalms are also recited during this ritual.  While not a requirement for a Jewish funeral, it is an age-old tradition.
  • Who should have a Tahara? - Every Jewish person, regardless of affiliation or level of religious observance may have a Tahara if desired.  Like the Bris (circumcision), the Bar and Bat Mitzvah at maturity, Tahara is the universally accepted religious act that completes the Jewish life cycle. The family may request that a tahara be performed for the deceased.
    
    
• Tachrichim - (Takh-ree-kheem) the traditional burial shroud. Traditional white clothing, preferably made of linen, includes: hat, shirt, pants, jacket, belt and wrapping sheet.  For a man, a Tallis, preferably his own, is also worn. These garments symbolize equality and purity.
  
  
  • Why Tachrichim?
  • Simplicity.  The deceased is preparing to enter Olam HaEmes, the World of Truth.  In the Olam HaEmes, one is not defined by material acquisitions or by the quality, cost, or design of clothing, but rather by good deeds and the kind of person one chooses to be. The shroud has no pockets, further symbolizing our inability to take along any material possessions on this journey.
  • Appropriate Dress. With our belief in Olam Habah, an afterlife, where all men must face the Final Judgment, what more appropriate way to dress than as did the Kohen Godol, the High Priest, for the holiest service of Yom Kippur. In fact, the burial shroud replicates his clothing and therefore linen, which he wore, is the preferred material of the shroud.
  • Uniformity. In order not to distinguish between rich and poor, Rabbi Gamliel introduced the shroud as an absolute requirement, thus allowing even the poorest Jews to bury their dead with equal dignity and honor. Whereas traditions in funeral and burial practice may vary somewhat in different parts of the world, the shroud was universally accepted, and Jewish people have been buried in Tachrichim for over two thousand years.              
• K’riah - The rending or cutting of an outer garment, to symbolize the tering of the heart that the mourners feel at the time of loss.  Those observing K’riah are generally adult children, father/mother, brother/sister, or spouse of the deceased.   A ritual ribbon may be torn instead of the mourner's clothing, and that ribbon should be worn through the seven-day Shiva period.
  
  
• Burial ​- Based on the biblical verse "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19), Jewish tradition has maintained that burial should be in the earth.  Most Jewish cemeteries provide crypt entombment as an option that is accepted by rabbinic authorities.  Cremation historically has been rejected, but is accepted by some segments of the Jewish population.  Questions regarding these matters should be addressed to a Rabbi or the funeral director.                                                                                  
  
• Burial of Limbs - The obligation to bury Jewish remains is absolute. It includes not only a complete body, but limbs also. Unfortunately, this situation arises when a patient undergoes amputation. The family should make sure that the amputated limb is not incinerated by the hospital authorities.
  
  
• Washing of Hands: This is done after the funeral, after any visit to the cemetery, or after being in close proximity to a deceased we wash our hands. A container of water should be prepared for this purpose outside the entrance of the residence which one is about to enter. We wash our full hand from the wrist to the finger tips, three times alternately, first the right hand, then the left alternating, right, then left. The hands should be left to air dry, not towel dried.
  
  
• Shiva - The traditional seven-day mourning period, immediately following the burial. We devote the week to mourning of the loss that we have just experienced. We do not distract ourselves from thinking about our loss; rather, we confront our grief directly. Usually during this time, family and members of the community visit.      
  
  
• Meal of consolation - The mourners' first meal after returning from the cemetery (seudat havra'ah)  is usually provided by friends, neighbors, or a synagogue committee.  The meal generally includes hard-boiled eggs (which symbolize the potentiality of renewal) or other round objects symbolizing the wheel of life, continuity, and the need to move on.                                 
                            
• Sheloshim - The thirty days following burial (including shiva). After this period, traditional formal mourning is concluded for all relatives other than parents.  The period from the end of shiva to the end of sheloshim is one of transition from deep bereavement to resuming life's usual routine.  Again, a Rabbi may be consulted   regarding the details of sheloshim practices.  At the end of sheloshim, we encourage family and friends to gather together to read or study appropriate texts, to pray together, and to speak about the deceased.  For the death of a parent, the traditional mourning continues for a year, marked by the daily recitation of Kaddish for eleven months of the Hebrew calendar.                                                                                                                                                                                  
• Yud Bais Chodesh - The twelve-month period of formal mourning for parents.                                                                                                         
• Yahrzeit - The anniversary of a person’s date of death.  Yahrzeit is observed on the anniversary of the day of death according to the Hebrew calendar.  A yahrzeit candle is lit at sunset on the evening before the yahrzeit date and burns for 24 hours.   In addition, some mourners attend services and recite Kaddish, visit the cemetery, give tzedakah (charity) or engage in special acts of kindness to others.  For clarification, consult your Rabbi.
  
  
• Yizkor  - Yizkor ("May God Remember") services in memory of our loved ones are held on Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret, and on the last days of Pesach and Shavuot.  A yahrzeit candle is lit at sunset on the evening before yizkor is recited.
  
  
• Public Viewing of the Deceased  ​- Judaism considers it disrespectful to the deceased to have an open casket except for identification purposes.
  
  
• Flowers and Charity  - Greater honor is paid to the deceased by making a donation to charities rather than sending  flowers.    
                                                                                         
• Kaddish – The traditional prayer in praise of God, recited after burial, during the first year, at all three daily services and at the yahrzeit. This prayer should be said by the children at the synagogue, in the presence of the minyan. If the family can not insure that the prayer will be recited during the year, they should arrange for a proxy to recite the Kaddish. The Kaddish is one of the most important and meaningful acts that the family can do to insure that the departed soul is at peace.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
• Organ donation - In Jewish law, organ donations are permitted to save a life.  Many authorities consider this act a mitzvah.  Check with a Rabbi for guidance.                                                                                                                                                                                            
• Placing the casket -  ​The final placement of the casket should be witnessed for psychological and religious reasons.  Those present at the interment are afforded the opportunity to place earth on the casket.  Jewish tradition considers this a hesed shel emet  - an act of true loving kindness and the last kindness we can extend since there is no reciprocal favor we can expect from the deceased. 
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• Autopsies -  Jewish tradition allows an autopsy when required by civil law, or when the knowledge gained from an autopsy might help others suffering from the same disease.  Routine autopsies where nothing specific will be learned should be avoided because they violate the principle of kevod ha-met  - respect for the body of the deceased.