Jewish Funeral Services

The Jewish faith has many meaningful traditions that they follow in order to help and assist the mourners and surviving family member when a death occurs. When a loved one passes away in a Jewish home, the clergy or Jewish funeral director is contacted. If the family does not have a clergy to contact, the funeral director assists in locating one on behalf of the family.

The Jewish funeral services will also vary somewhat depending on the different sects of Orthodox, Conservative, and Reformed. Overall, the funeral ceremony is just the beginning instead of the ending of ceremonies. The Jewish funeral services are actually only about twenty minutes in length.

The traditional Jewish funeral service is held at the gravesite or Kever, a chapel or a synagogue. The service consists of prayers that praise the declare and praise the life of the deceased. Jewish families may at times prefer a donation to the selected charity in lieu of flowers.

Traditionally, the family will remain at home for seven days following the funeral service (called the Shiva). Family and friends visit the family during this time to offer their support. This time is used to share feelings and share special memories together.

The other items which are traditionally done includes the refrigeration of the body as opposed to embalming, a ritual called the Tahara which is the washing by a person of the same gender as the deceased, followed by a dressing of the body in Tachrichim, a linen white shroud. The Star of David symbol is placed on the top of the funeral casket.

An observance period follows for thirty days after the funeral memorial service which mourners, family and friends return to their normal daily activities, say certain prayers, and refrain from attending a place of entertainment. The Kaddish is a prayer that is said for the eleven months following a funeral service. Families may also attend services everyday to honor their loved one and join with others in the community of the bereaved to gain support and encouragement.

The gravestone marker or headstone in a Jewish funeral is not revealed until months or a year after the funeral service. This provides the family and friends to gather and remember the deceased at the gravesite. In the synagogue and on the anniversary of the death, the deceased person's name is read aloud.

Jewish families also can create Jewish themed funeral programs to commemorate the life of their loved one and have it as a sort of keepsake. This is distributed or provided as a token of remembrance at the ceremony. Some even choose to send the program to those unable to attend after the funeral service.