Jewish traditions related to death, funerals and mourning are rarely taught in Hebrew School. In this show-and-tell class, items used for Jewish funerals were examined. The historical, practical and ritual reasons for each element before, during and after a funeral were discussed. Items included burial shrouds (tachrichim), the keriah tradition of tearing a ribbon or clothing, a shivah candle that marks the seven-day period of mourning, a water pitcher for ritual purification, and more.
This talk was presented by Gail Rubin, CT, of A Good Goodbye at the Greater Albuquerque Jewish Community Center’s annual A Taste of Honey educational event.
Gail is a member of the Chevrah Kaddisha, a group of volunteers that ritually prepare the bodies of Jews for burial. She also serves on the cemetery committee for Congregation Albert synagogue. Gail is Vice President of the Jewish-Christian Dialogue of New Mexico, helping start interfaith conversations.