The chevra kadisha, literally “Sacred Society,” is the name for the group of people in each community who have dedicated themselves to caring for the deceased, preparing them both physically and spiritually for burial.

Absolutely! Belief that the dead will be resurrected is fundamental to Judaism.

The Torah does not specify what clothing a person should be buried in, and for generations, people were buried in their own clothing.

The most crucial feature of a Jewish funeral is also its last: the body is buried in the ground. Cremation is prohibited by Torah.

However, Jewish burial practice — every detail of which is dictated by Jewish belief about the afterlife and about the sanctity of both body and soul — begins at the very moment of death.

At death, the body and the soul part ways, and each returns to its source. For the soul, the source is G-d Himself, but the body’s source is the earth: G-d formed the man from the earth. (Genesis 2:7)

Until burial, however, the soul remains tethered to the body. It yearns to return to G-d, and is in distress until it is able to do so. In order to free the soul to return to G-d as quickly as possible, Jewish tradition encourages swift burial.

The small stone or pebble placed on the gravestone serves as an indication that the grave was visited.

Yes! In fact, Jewish burial is green burial.

Absolutely not. Burial is a mitzvah. Cremation is not permitted under any circumstances.

Absolutely. Life after death is one of the most fundamental beliefs of Judaism.

Absolutely. Everyone has a soul. Our soul is our essence, and it is eternal. It can never die.

Tahara is the traditional Jewish ritual of cleansing, dressing, and casketing a body in preparation for burial. (The Hebrew word tahara refers to the state of being pure.)