BY: RABBI ELCHONON ZOHN,

DIRECTOR- VHQ CHEVRA KADISHA

An elite club existed in the European shtetl, membership in which was often handed down from father to son with a reverence typically reserved for a most precious heritage.  So many coveted membership that when new members were needed they were chosen by lot or by secret vote. The "Chevra Kadisha", the "Sacred Society" was generally the first group to be organized in the founding of any Jewish community. The Chevra was responsible for the entire spectrum of burial service, from pronouncing death to plot allotment and cemetery maintenance.

This unique significance originates in part from the Talmudic passage: Rabbi Simlai lectured:  Torah begins and ends with acts of kindness & thus, the act of burying the dead, including the preparation of the remains for interment is seen as an emulation of G-d, fulfilling the commandment to "walk in His ways". It is for this reason that the day of the birth and death of Moses, Zayin Adar, the seventh day of the month of Adar, is the traditional celebration of the Chevra Kadisha, underscoring that on that day G-d performed the work of the Chevra, endearing the Societies work with special status.

What about here in the U.S.? Why it is that for many years the Chevra and the traditions it stood for were often ridiculed and largely ignored? Why would Funeral Directors scorn the Chevra and avoid involving it unless forced to do so by the family of the deceased or his Rabbi? It is regretful that in this respect the Chevra Kadisha as an institution, appreciation for the beauty of its customs, has declined to a great extent. I daresay that even in the most traditional quarters of the Jewish community, there was a loss of respect and appreciation for the work of the Chevra. Why?

The loss of prestige for the work of the Chevra would be more understandable and less painful if the customs and traditions were not so beautiful and full of meaning.  However, in truth, Tahara is very rich in its significance, its every ritual is a reflection of the most basic concepts of our faith. Proper performance of the Tahara and Shmira are a unique expression of the ultimate respect for the dignity and the nobility of man.

The confines of this Article do not allow for the explanation of significance of each and every custom and its origin. However, it is illustrative to delineate the two main themes upon which many of these rituals are based:

Judaism is predicated on the belief in an after-life where men and women will receive their ultimate eternal reward for the good they have accomplished during their lives, after appearing before G-D for final judgement; in essence this is the final Yom Kippur. It should therefore not be surprising to learn that the traditional burial shroud is designed to replicate the clothing worn by the High Priest for his Yom Kippur service, before G-D, in the Bais Hamikdash, our Holy Temple. Doesn't it make sense to carefully wash and clean, and yes, ritually purify, all Jews before their final Yom Kippur, when they are soon to appear before the heavenly court just as the High Priest immersed himself and purified himself in preparation for the once yearly Yom Kippur ritual?

It is an accepted Jewish belief that while the soul departs from the body upon death, it nevertheless remains nearby, fully aware of what transpires to the body and that goes on around it. This contradicts the oft-cited belief that funerals are for the living.  In fact, the departed are very much "present" at the funeral. Click here to view an excellent essay on this subject by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan and published by the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) of the Orthodox Union, may be viewed via a link at the end of this article.

In light of the above, we will view the manner which the body is washed and dressed, the prohibition against unnecessary talk during the Tahara and the need for a Shomer/watchman. To keep vigil with the body, and the beautiful tradition of asking the deceased for forgiveness if anything was lacking in the respect given him, are not simply ancient rituals, bur rather the logical outgrowth of the Jewish perception of death and burial. Certainly all of this transcends the issue of whether one had been a practicing Jew or not. Nor does it much matter if one was affiliated with an Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform congregation, or not affiliated at all, as a Jew, one is deserving of a burial reflecting the richness and the beauty of Jewish tradition and belief.

I believe the lack of respect and appreciation for the Chevra during the middle decades of this century may be attributed to the manner in which European Jews settled in this country. Most Europeans were motivated by the prospect of a better life in the land of promise and opportunity. They were not coming to build a Jewish community. Most often they were seeking to blend into society and become Americans. When Jews with a deep commitment to Orthodoxy arrived, they often felt threatened by the secular majority in the American-Jewish community that did not value their traditional beliefs.

What developed was a Chevra Kadisha of two kinds. On the one hand was the devout, sincerely religious Jew who, in America, perceived himself to be in an atmosphere dangerous to the maintenance of almost every facet of his chosen way of life. Such Jews and the Chevras that represented their communities came to the Jewish funeral home to do battle with the funeral director in a holy war where every compromise was perceived as territory lost. These Chevras, representing societies or congregations, had little understanding of the practical and economic needs of the funeral director, nor were they willing to learn. They were satisfied with the knowledge that when one of their own passed on, they could pressure the funeral home into conducting the funeral their way.

In other communities there developed a Chevra comprised of those people who could not make it in the business world, who found a way of making a dollar by doing a job no one else would do. They commercialized the Chevra. Their concern was not the respect for the work they were doing, and if necessitated by time or convenience, the Tahara would be done quickly, without sensitivity, without any real standard of excellence. Their purpose was served as long as it was nominally performed and they were paid.

This continued through the 50's and 60's as the Holocaust survivors came to the country, as individual refugees, without roots and community identification. Interestingly, where entire communities arrived intact such as the German Jewish community and some of the Hassidic sects that settled in this country, this phenomenon didn't occur. They simply transplanted their communal Chevra along with other vital communal institutions to this country, maintaining the respect and the integrity of the Chevra's holy work.

Thank G-D this situation is changing. As the children of the Holocaust generation are forming communities of their own, their concern for this important facet of the Jewish life-cycle has come back into focus. Chevras of young, educated and sincere people, men and women committed to maintaining the beauty and the uniqueness of our heritage have sprung up all across this country. In addition to performing their traditional function, many of these Chevras if so called upon, will act as the legal agents of the family in regard to funeral arrangement, sparing the family emotional difficulty, while speeding up the process of burial. These groups have won the respect of the funeral directors they deal with and the confidence of the communities they serve. I have had the privilege to train and counsel many of them.

I am fortunate and proud to be at the head of the Chevra of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens, a group of Rabbis representing over 60 congregations in New York City and Long Island. In our area, the percentage of Jewish funerals to include Tahara has increased from 2-3% to almost 25% in the just 15 years. Respect for the work we do continues to grow, as we strive to maintain the highest standards of excellence and efficiency. Aware of and sensitive to the complexities of the Jewish funeral home, we have developed a wonderful working relationship with funeral directors based on mutual respect. We have invited the Jewish funeral directors to our annual Zayin Adar dinner, where they have expanded their appreciation for and understanding of the work of the Chevra. Our Chevra is always willing to assist in obtaining a quick release from a hospital or medical examiner. We are careful to maintain the cleanliness of the funeral home, work with the time frame the director is comfortable with, while never compromising what is required by our beautiful and ancient customs and traditions. It is my conviction that this trend will continue to grow and spread, so that every Jew will be privileged to be buried with the special beauty that is represented by a Tahara, performed by caring, sensitive people who belong to a recognized Chevra Kadisha. As Jews it is our birthright and heritage.

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