Giving the Deceased Dignity in a Jewish Funeral Service

One of the great commandments of the Jewish faith is to treat the deceased with respect. The body is handled with care in every stage to prevent its integrity, and the burial often takes place as soon as possible. The in-between state is hard for the soul because there is no body that can relate to the world, and it is neither free nor purely spiritual. By returning the physical body to earth as soon as you can through a funeral service, the soul is able to return to its original source. If you need to have a funeral service for someone of the Jewish faith in Monroe, NJ, it is important to hold dignity in the highest regard.

A Jewish funeral service will generally take place as soon as possible. There are only a few allowances for waiting. If you need to wait for shrouds or the proper casket, for example. Or if you have to wait for a eulogizing rabbi to arrive. You may wait for close relatives to travel into town or until the Sabbath has passed. Otherwise, the funeral service in Monroe, NJ will take place very soon after the death occurs.

Purification and Preparation of the Deceased

The body will be ceremonial cleansed and groomed as part of a ritual known as the Taharah. Water will be poured over the body, often by a group of men and women known as the Holy Society. These dedicated individuals purify the body and prepare it for the next phase of existence. They then dress it in a white linen shroud or simply white garments to signify purity and holiness.

The Funeral Procession

Accompanying the body to its resting place with the funeral home is one way in which mourners can show their respect to the deceased and their family. The funeral procession is a deeply symbolic way to show those who love the deceased that they are joined together through God. Mourners escort the body to the gravesite to comfort the soul, and is a transition from one type of life to another. People will walk behind the coffin, accompany it to the hearse, and then follow it to the gravesite.

The eulogy at the funeral service will focus on the best traits of the deceased and contain examples of the good they did in their life. At the end of the burial service during a traditional funeral service, the top of the coffin is covered with earth thrown by those in attendance. All of these things are done to give dignity to the person who has passed on.

Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels is here to treat your loved one with all the respect and dignity in the world. You can contact us by calling (800) 395-9199 or (732) 390-9199 to arrange a funeral service in Monroe, NJ. We are located at 454 Cranbury Road (at Evergreen Blvd.), East Brunswick, NJ 08816 and you can find out more about us online at https://www.msmc.us/.