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What To Expect When Being Guest At Jewish Funeral Ceremonies

Just like all communities, Jews have certain customs that they observe when they are burying a loved one. The strictness of the customs observed normally depends on whether the family of the deceased are radical Jews or conservative Jews. The customs carried out at a Jewish funeral are meant to provide respect to the dead person 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.

The casket is normally kept sealed at the memorial service. It is generally considered rude to look at someone who cannot look back at you. A plain and simple coffin is used. The coffin should be made from wood only as not metal parts are allowed, as metal does not 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.

The burial ceremony does not take a long time. It can be completed in less than half an hour. Flowers are normally considered as frivolous adornments, so they are often avoided at burials. If you wish, you can choose to have a small floral tribute, as long as the officiant is not opposed to it. Mourners cannot talk to the attendees until the whole burial ceremony is over.

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.