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Preparing the Body for Burial

 

Return to Guide to Death and Mourning for Interfaith Families

 

For most Jews in North America who live in or near large cities, a Jewish funeral home or synagogue burial society (called a "hevra kedishah" in Hebrew) perform the preparations of the body for burial. These include watching the body between the time of death and the funeral ("shmirah") and ritual washing of the body ("taharah"). In some Jewish conceptions of life after death, the burial society accompanies the soul on the first part of its journey from the body.

Jewish law mandates prompt burial and respectful treatment of the body; ideally, the body should be buried within 24 hours of death. It is acceptable to delay burial only in limited circumstances. These include observance of the Jewish Sabbath (Friday evening to Saturday evening), and allowing immediate family members to travel a long distance to be present for the funeral. If you are the family member making funeral arrangements for someone who has requested a Jewish funeral, consult a rabbi or a Jewish funeral home for advice if you have a question. It is their job to provide knowledgeable and compassionate help.

The Guide to Death and Mourning for Interfaith Families is also available as a downloadable PDF and Word document.

Derived from the Greek word for "assembly," a Jewish house of prayer. Synagogue refers to both the room where prayer services are held and the building where it occurs. In Yiddish, "shul." Reform synagogues are often called "temple." A language of West Semitic origins, culturally considered to be the language of the Jewish people. Ancient or Classical Hebrew is the language of Jewish prayer or study. Modern Hebrew was developed in the late-19th and early 20th centuries as a revival language; today it is spoken by most Israelis.
Hebrew for "my master," the term refers to a spiritual leader and teacher of Torah. Often, but not always, a rabbi is the leader of a synagogue congregation.
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