This issue’s question to Rabbi Gabriel Botnick: At a recent Shabbat service, you spoke about relaunching the Chevra Kadisha at Belsize. What exactly is this and what would it entail to volunteer for it?

The Chevra Kadisha – or Holy Society in Aramaic – is a sacred, if overlooked, component of every Jewish community. The primary role of the group is to prepare bodies of community members for burial. This practice has its origins in pre-Talmudic times and is considered one of the essential requirements for establishing a new Jewish community (along with a school, mikveh, synagogue and cemetery).

Before it became customary to bury our deceased in coffins, we would simply wrap the body in a shroud and carry it upon a bier from the deceased’s home to the cemetery. After a long illness, it was common for the body to emit a noticeable scent, compounded by other, natural, post-mortem odours. In order to ensure one’s last impression was one of dignity, people would gently and respectfully wash the body of the deceased. This is ‘Kavod HaMet’ or showing respect to those who have died and is considered to be an act of ‘Chesed Shel Emet’ or true loving-kindness, as those who engage in the work do so without expectation of compensation or acknowledgment. In fact, it is customary not to reveal the identities of Chevra Kadisha members.

Until recently, Belsize had an active women’s Chevra Kadisha, but after the retirement of its leaders, we began to rely more upon our funeral directors to perform this work, as they have a professionally trained team readily available at all times. Sadly, it’s been much longer since we had an active men’s Chevra Kadisha. While there is nothing wrong with relying on our funeral directors, Cantor Heller and I believe it would be meaningful and appropriate to relaunch our community’s Chevra Kadisha as another option for our members.

I know it can seem daunting to volunteer for such work, so allow me to explain exactly what is involved with being part of a Chevra Kadisha. As not everyone wishes their bodies to undergo such ritual preparations prior to burial, the services of the group are only required somewhere between ten and twenty times per year, approximately half requiring the services of the women’s group and half the men’s. We only need three volunteers per burial, so if we have enough volunteers, you might be asked to donate your time and care just a few times a year.

When preparing a body for burial, it is covered with a sheet, with small areas of the body uncovered only when being washed gently with warm water. Once the body is clean, it is wrapped in fresh shrouds before being placed in the coffin for burial. During the thirty minutes or so that it takes to prepare the body, volunteers refrain from speaking – doing so only if absolutely necessary to perform the
work in which they are engaged.

Of course, this is an oversimplification of the process, but it does give a general idea of what’s involved. For further information about our soon-to-be relaunched Chevra Kadisha groups, please join the online
meeting that Cantor Heller and I will host on 24 March – details are on the back page of Our Congregation. If you then think that you might be interested in volunteering, I invite you to email me or to contact the synagogue office. After this, we will hold a couple of training sessions, in which you’ll learn about the process in more detail. We will then hold a final session during which volunteers will practice
on a mannequin. Once you feel ready, you’ll have an opportunity to participate in your first official
preparation with me and/or Cantor Heller.

I encourage you to keep an open mind and look out for that first informational meeting. Whether you’re retired or just starting out in your career; whether you have many demands on your time or are looking for something to do, taking part in the Chevra Kadisha will not ask too much of you and will add much meaning and purpose to your involvement in the Belsize community.

Sincerely,
Rabbi Botnick