Since the dawn of Judaism (and even before) our people have buried our loved ones in the nourishing earth, “for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

Today, often citing cost, a growing number of Jewish people are opting for cremation. Why is cremation forbidden? Does it have a source in Jewish tradition? Is it against the Jewish religion to be cremated? Do we sit shiva following a cremation? Below, find the answers to these questions, as well as the experiences of those who have gone down this path.