Transcript Bereavement in Judaism

Bereavement in Judaism
Isobel Sinclair ST1
GPVTS
1/2/12
Upon receiving news of the passing
 Orthodox men will cut the lapel of their suit
on the left side, over the heart
 Non-orthodox practice may be to cut a
necktie or to wear a button with a torn black
ribbon
Preparing the body — Taharah
 Prayers and readings from The Torah are
recited
 There are three major stages to preparing
the body for burial: washing (rechitzah),
ritual purification (taharah), and dressing
(halbashah)
Preparing the body — Taharah
 In Judaism there is no viewing of the body
and no "open casket" at the funeral.
Sometimes the immediate family pays their
final respects before the funeral.
Funeral service
 The Jewish funeral consists of burial, also known
as interment.
 Cremation is not considered acceptable.
 Burial is considered to allow the body to
decompose naturally
 Burial is intended to take place in as short an
interval of time after death as possible. Jewish law
forbids embalming
 Flowers would not be found at a traditional funeral
 Funeral service usually commences at the burial
ground
Mourning
Stage 1 (aninut)
- A person is considered to be in a state of
total shock and disorientation
- Lasts until burial is over
Stage 2 (avelut)
 Mourning - no music, concerts, parties or
marriages
 Consists of 3 distinct periods:
- Shiva – 7 days of mourning
- Shloshim – 30 days after burial
- Shneim asar chodesh – 12 months after
burial
Matzevah (Unveiling of the
tombstone)
 A headstone (tombstone) is known as a
matzevah ("monument")
 Most communities have an unveiling
ceremony a year after the death
Controversy following death
 Donating organs
- Being an organ donor is permitted provided that
instructions have been left in a written living will
 Suicide
- Judaism considers suicide to be a form of self
murder and thus a Jew who commits suicide is
denied some important after-death privileges: no
eulogies should be held for that person, and burial
in the main section of the Jewish cemetery is
normally not allowed