Just as newborns are washed and dressed as they enter the world, so too the deceased are cleansed and dressed as they depart." This has been interpreted to mean that the deceased should be swaddled in white linen just as babies are when they are born.
These chevra kadisha practices and many others were in danger of being eliminated from the Jewish death rituals but there is a movement to restore these lost traditions and there is a growing movement among volunteers to restore these practices among practicing Jews. This movement is motivated by an emerging sense of mortality among baby boomers, a reaction against the insensitive practices being exercised by the funeral home industry, and a growing cultural receptivity to past spiritual practices.
The primary emphasis and driving force behind the chevra kadisha practices is protecting the dignity of the deceased (Mintz). Under Jewish law the purpose...
Maintaining respect for the deceased is paramount. It is believed that the even though the body is dead that the soul is still hovering and in transition and that is why those participating in the chevra kadisha remain so silent except for their continual praying.
All cultures and religions have death rituals but none have remained as unchanged through the years as those of the Jewish religion. As the practices of chevra kadisha have again become popular among practicing Jews, the connections between the various generations of Jews are being reinforced.
Works Cited
Hitchcock, Jennifer. "Leveiya: The process of the Jewish Funeral Service." Verbum (2010): 33-38.
Mintz, Benjamin W. "Religious Approaches to Death and Dying: The Jewish Approach." Jurist (1999): 161-174.
Death Rituals
