Everything You Wanted To Know About Jewish Funeral
If you have been interested to know more about Jewish funeral or have to attend one, here are some basic information that can help you out:
- A Jewish funeral generally will take place either in the local funeral home in Kendall or in the synagogue. No matter where it is being held, if you are a male participant, you have to wear a yarmulke as head covering. Generally, the funeral home or the synagogue will give you one if you are not a follower of Judaism. Also, the dress should be formal with a jacket and tie. The ladies don’t have to wear any headcover but should be dressed modestly, which means the dress length should be below the knee, not sleeveless and no open-toe shoes.
- Burial process for a Jewish person is held as soon as possible, within 24 hours. But sometimes it may be held two days after if they have to wait for the near and dear ones. A simple wooden casket is used and there is no open-casket funeral. The body is washed and wrapped in a simple burial shroud. It is customary for someone to watch over the deceased person day and night before the burial happens. Another thing to note is that a funeral is never held on Shabbat, which is Saturday and other Jewish holidays.
- The casket of a Jewish funeral is also quite different from caskets used in other burials. It has to be plain, and not even a nail can be used and is completely made of wood. That is because it has to be totally biodegradable so as to help in the decomposition of the body.
- The service of the funeral is led by the Rabbi. As per tradition, at least 10 adult Jewish men are needed for the reading of prayers; and by adult it means Jewish males who have had their Bar Mitzvah, which is generally held at the age of 13. In recent times, some sect of the Jewish community has also started to include women as part of a minyan.
- Maintaining decorum is particularly important during a Jewish funeral. If a participant is late, he or she must wait for an opportune moment to enter during a break, rather than disturb the prayer. As with other religious funeral recordings of any form is discouraged.
- Though the burial is held within 24 hours, the mourning period lasts for seven days and is called “Shiva”. If you would not make it during the funeral, you can visit during this period to show your sympathies.
- The funeral process can be roughly divided into three parts; the first is when the mourners gather which can be in the funeral home Kendall or the Synagogue. The beginning of the funeral service is marked by the cutting of a black ribbon by the Rabbi. Then prayers and eulogy are held after which the body is removed to the cemetery. The graveside service is the second part which concludes with placing of earth on the grave. The last part is held in the house of the deceased person where the “Shiva” will be observed.