Chevra Kadisha

It is considered a sacred duty and a great kindness to be a part of the Chevra Kadisha, and it is an honor to be included in this group of dedicated volunteers.

Menachem Levy says he is “used to death.” A member of Tel Aviv’s chevra kadisha (“sacred society”), he is among a relatively small number of experts in Israel responsible for preparing tens of thousands of bodies each year for Jewish burial. Yet, he says,...

Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew open a window and knocked over a jug of milk on the sill. It spilled into the large pot of meat that was cooking on the stove.

After a loved one passes away it is a mitzvah to arrange for their body to be laid to rest in a Jewish cemetery in accordance with age-old traditions.

It’s important to know what Judaism says on how to properly attend to the deceased from the time of death to burial. Rabbi Elchonon Zohn, a renowned expert on Jewish burial in our tradition, clarifies the matter.

I’m fasting today, but I’ll be feasting tonight.

You never get used to it. It never becomes, oh, another tahara.

An assortment of tefillin—some old and worn, others glossy and new—lay neatly arranged.

You are the head of the Chassidic Burial Society of Jerusalem. The appropriate wish for a Burial Society is that they should be out of work… “May G-d wipe away tears from every face.” Good tidings, and many good years.