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Formalities To Know At Jewish Funeral Rites
Certain rituals are normally performed at a Jewish funeral. These rituals vary, mainly depending on which community the deceased is from and the person who is officiating the wedding. Some officials are quite strict in observing that all rituals are performed as required, while others are flexible. The customs carried out aim at showing respect to the deceased as well as the mourners.
Burial is normally carried out within a day when a person dies. The burial may be postponed for another day or two, so as to wait for any close family member who has to travel from a far place to attend the burial. It's totally up to the family to decide whether the burial should be postponed or whether it should go ahead as required by custom.
Open caskets are not allowed at memorial services. The casket chosen should be simple and totally biodegradable. This means that it should be made purely out of wood. Even nails are not allowed, as they are metallic and can't decompose.
Preservation of the body through embalming is not allowed, unless demanded by local laws for health reasons. This is to allow the body to decompose naturally. If the family wishes, they can call a pious society of men and women who have devoted themselves to the task of cleaning and dressing dead bodies as required by tradition.
Short services that last only a couple of minutes are encouraged. Flowers are not present in most memorial services as they are considered unnecessary. Mourners cannot talk and interact with other attendees until after the burial service has been completed.
At a Jewish funeral, the attendees form a double line when leaving the site after the burial. The family members of the deceased walk through the pathway that has been formed. This gives an opportunity to the attendees to greet and offer words of comfort to the bereaved.
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