Are Ancient Customs Adapting to Modern Society?
Many Jewish burial traditions, often based on the Torah, have been in place for thousands of years. Some, such as the admonition to inter the body within 24 hours, have become increasingly difficult in our mobile society, where close family members may live in other parts of the country or the world. With the rapid modernization of society in the 20th century, many Jewish communities moved away from such traditions as the shmirah (where a person is tasked with watching over the deceased until interment) and the taharah, or ritual cleansing of the body in preparation for burial.
Over the last quarter of a century, though, there has been renewed interest in many traditional funeral and burial customs, while other practices have waned. Let’s look at how the distinctive Jewish approach to funerals and burials is changing in the 21st century.
The Resurgence of Old Traditions
Some ancient customs are being embraced again in the new millennium:
- The Chevra Kadisha
From the turn of the 20th century until the 1960s, the role and importance of the Chevra Kadisha ebbed, as many Jewish families opted to turn those duties over to funeral home operators. However, over the last half century, many Jewish communities have fully restored the Chevra Kadisha to their traditional role and countless new Chevra Kadisha have been created. In many instances, the role of the Chevra Kadisha has actually expanded to include end-of-life care and support.
- The Simple Wooden Casket
It’s long been Jewish custom to be buried in a simple wooden casket, both to eschew ornamentation at the time of death and to facilitate the return of the body to dust. For a while, some members of the Jewish faith (mostly Reform Jews) opted for metal caskets or wooden ones with metal ornamentation. The last 50 years have also seen a return to the simple wooden casket, one designed to be held together without nails or other metal, often with holes drilled in the casket to hasten the decomposition of the body.
- The Lowering of the Casket with Mourners Present
Another longstanding custom that had fallen into disuse, the practice of physically lowering the casket into the ground with mourners still present has returned. Once the casket is in the ground, mourners participate in the practice of shoveling dirt on the top of the casket.
Changes in Longstanding Traditions
Other common Jewish funeral and burial practices are evolving in the 21st century:
- There’s an increase in organ donations—Traditional Jewish belief prohibits mutilating a body after death—hence the admonition against embalming. Modern tradition often waives this ban if organs and tissue can be used to save a life.
- Many more Jewish people are donating their bodies for scientific research
- Cremation is slowly becoming an acceptable alternative to burial
Gutterman’s and Gutterman Warheit—Serving the Jewish Community for 125 Years
At Gutterman’s and Gutterman Warheit, we bring five generations of experience and compassion to individuals and families in New York and Florida. We have the knowledge and experience to help you with every concern, from the preparation of the memorial service or the selection of a monument to the creation of a Yahrzeit calendar or the details of sitting Shiva. We can also be your liaison with the Chevra Kadisha.
To learn how we can be assistance, send us an email or call us at one of the numbers listed below.
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