| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| burial | 10/12/2009 |
Q: Why do the Jewish people turn the shovel upside down to bury the deceased?
A: While some people turn the shovel upside down, it is not mandatory, and it is not done by all Jews. ...
|
| unveiling ceremony | 10/11/2009 |
Q: I have a Jewish friend who passed away a year ago. His unveiling is this week at the graveside, but ...
A: It is entirely appropriate for you to attend the unveiling. It is usually a very brief ceremony. ...
|
| funeral attire | 7/28/2009 |
Q: My aunt passed away this morning and she was jewish. Now I don't think she was a practicing Jew. ...
A: You should be fine if you wear any kind of business attire - a suit, a dress that is appropriate for ...
|
| Maiden Name on Grave Marker | 6/10/2009 |
Q: Is it customary to include a married woman's maiden name on her marker? My cousin and I recently ...
A: The Jewish tradition has nothing to say in regard to your question because until relatively ...
|
| Flowers | 6/9/2009 |
Q: A business associate's son passed away suddenly. The memorial service is at a Conservative ...
A: We don't believe in cutting down a living thing to honor the dead, so it would be more considerate ...
|
| my father | 4/6/2009 |
Q: I lost my father 4 weeks ago today and I am having a very hard time recovering The rabbi gave my ...
A: In the Jewish tradition, the formal mourning process has first the seven days of shiva and then the ...
|
| Attire for Jewish Funeral | 2/8/2009 |
Q: Can you please advise what is appropriate attire for attending Jewish funeral. I am not Jewish, so ...
A: You should feel free to wear anything that would be considered business attire - a dress or suit or ...
|
| Funeral | 2/7/2009 |
Q: My husband's sister is Orthodox Jew. She is dying of cancer and only has a few months left. She ...
A: You are certainly welcome to attend an Orthodox funeral, and it would be polite if you would visit ...
|
| Etiquette | 1/29/2009 |
Q: My brother-in-law's Mother passed away today, out of state. My family(Roman Catholic) would like to ...
A: A fruit basket or a live plant would be lovely. We don't send flowers because we don't believe in ...
|
| funeral | 12/8/2008 |
Q: IS IT ALLOWED TO PERFORM THE TAHARA IN A JEWISH CEMETERY,AND THEN BURY THE BODY IN A NON JEWISH ...
A: I'm sorry, but it is not permitted, according to Jewish Law to bury a Jew in a non-Jewish cemetery ...
|
| covering mirrors during shivas | 11/6/2008 |
Q: why are mirrors covered during shiva
A: There are two reasons for covering mirrors in a shiva house. The first reason is that one who is ...
|
| Book on Jewish Funeral customs | 10/26/2008 |
Q: I am a convert to Reform Judaism and have been a Jew for only 10 years. My husband is an elderly ...
A: Probably the best thing you can do is to turn to one of your husband's colleagues - another rabbi ...
|
| Shiva Food | 7/9/2008 |
Q: Rabbi Levy, What is the custom concerning how to include people in sending in the shiva tray and ...
A: There are some times when a friend of the family will organize food for the family for a week, ...
|
| Jewish cemetery | 5/20/2008 |
Q: I buried my mother recently and I was told by the cemetery that in 1974 they mistakenly buried ...
A: I'm sorry that you and your family has had to deal with such terrible stress. Yes, you may very ...
|
| unveiling | 5/19/2008 |
Q: I would like to know the purpose of an unveiling.My son passed away 10 months ago (18yrs old), I ...
A: Please allow me to suggest that what is most painful is the death of a child and not the funeral ...
|
| Jewish burial | 5/12/2008 |
Q: Is there a Biblical/spiritual rationale for the rapid burial of a loved one? If so, could you tell ...
A: The Bible says, "dust you are and unto dust you will return." Therefore, we do not believe in ...
|
| Jewish Funeral | 3/2/2008 |
Q: Our dear Jewish neighbor passed away, and my wife and I would like to attend her service, but we ...
A: It will be acceptable for your wife to wear a pants. Please be guided by what other men are doing at ...
|
| Stones on markers | 2/1/2008 |
Q: Is it OK for a non-Jew to leave a stone on the grave marker of a Jewish friend? I'm Roman Catholic ...
A: Yes, it is perfectly OK, and it is a lovely gesture on your part. It has become a custom to show ...
|
| Mourning | 1/11/2008 |
Q: My very dear friends mother passed away at 7am this morning and it is my belief that she will be ...
A: If you have not already called, it would be best for you to wait until after the funeral or, if it ...
|
| dates for yarzheit on Jewish calendar | 12/16/2007 |
Q: Is there a place on the internet that I can translate the date of funeral to the date of yarzheit on ...
A: Some Reform and Reconstructionist congregations are willing to let people choose either the Hebrew ...
|
| Jewish Funeral | 12/6/2007 |
Q: I have a very dear friend who has just died, he was a Portuguese Jew. He was, as a child brought up ...
A: Yes, of course, the arrangements for the chapel sound fine. I wasn't aware of the fact that his ...
|
| Jewish Funeral | 12/5/2007 |
Q: I have a very dear friend who has just died, he was a Portuguese Jew. He was, as a child brought up ...
A: I am quite amazed and in awe of any Methodist minister who will go to the lengths that you are in ...
|
| Jewish Funeral Attire | 11/5/2007 |
Q: I am attending the funeral of my bosses mother, I am not Jewish, what is the correct attire to wear ...
A: I would suggest business attire for the funeral. Coat and tie for your husband, and a dress for ...
|
| Protocol for a Shabat. | 10/23/2007 |
Q: The local temple is having a Noah's Ark Shabbat service (they are bringing in live animals for the ...
A: You may wish to contact the World Union For Progressive Judaism regarding the congregation in ...
|
| burial vs cremation | 7/8/2007 |
Q: I am slightly confused about what i have read regarding legality of cremation within jewish law. it ...
A: The Torah is clear in telling us that we must return to the earth from which we came. There is ...
|
| my grandmother's death | 6/19/2007 |
Q: My grandparents are the only ones in our family that are Jewish. My dear grandma passed away last ...
A: This is really not a Jewish issue at all. I think the best you can do, under the circumstances, is ...
|
| unveiling | 6/10/2007 |
Q: can i have an unveiling for my mother between rosh Hashanah and Yom kippor? the cemetery says they ...
A: I apologize for the delay in responding to your query. I was having trouble with my internet ...
|
| unveling | 5/31/2007 |
Q: My dads unveiling is July 1st and I am unsure about what to do after the cemetary service? Do we go ...
A: There isn't any one proper thing to do. If there are people who will be coming from a long distance, ...
|
| FUNERAL | 4/10/2007 |
Q: I have a disagreement with my wife. My Grandmother passed away this morning and the funeral is ...
A: It is absolutely appropriate to take children to a shiva. If you read the Mourner's Kaddish in ...
|
| funeral | 1/8/2007 |
Q: what can i send to the home for shiva
A: It would help you to know whether or not the family observes the Jewish dietary laws (keeps kosher). ...
|
| Funeral | 1/3/2007 |
Q: A former coworker daughter has lost her battle with brain cancer. I and some coworker are going to ...
A: No one has to be invited to visit. The more visitors, the better. It gives people an opportunity to ...
|
| jewish gravemarker dedication service | 10/19/2006 |
Q: My family has asked me to dedicate the stone at my grandmothers grave. Although I have performed ...
A: The Jewish custom in the United States is to unveil the grave-stone after a period of time has gone ...
|
| Mourning Tradition | 10/16/2006 |
Q: My father has just died ( last friday ) after a long illness and I am not as familiar with ...
A: I'm very sorry about your loss. One of the most important traditions of mourning is to sit shiva so ...
|
| Jewish Funeral protocol | 8/27/2006 |
Q: My wifes employer has passed on this past Friday, and we will be attending a jewish visitation ...
A: McCann, In this case, I think your decisions about how much to do will depend upon whether your ...
|
| Protocols | 8/9/2006 |
Q: I worked with a lovely young woman who left the company when she married and I attended her wedding. ...
A: There is no Jewish protocol for this situation. Your friend is probably feeling very lonely and ...
|
| why do we cover mirrors during shiva? | 7/12/2006 |
Q: why do we cover mirrors during shive
A: There are two reasons for covering mirrors during shiva. First, mourners should not have to be ...
|
| funeral dress | 7/7/2006 |
Q: I'm actually costuming a film that has a scene with a Jewish funeral, I would love your help. ...
A: There is no such thing as a "mixed faith" funeral for an Orthodox Jew. I would like to suggest that ...
|
| unveilings | 5/18/2006 |
Q: My husband and I are the only family left, with the unveiling of his mother coming up. Since we ...
A: I'm sorry if I'm late in responding. The AllExperts folks told me that your post was waiting for my ...
|
| Casket | 5/17/2006 |
Q: Rather than a wood casket or shroud my father requests that when he dies he be buried in a woven ...
A: The only way you could bury him in bamboo or wicker would be to have him fully clothed. The idea of ...
|
| Jewish funeral service | 1/22/2006 |
Q: Rabbi, I am not a Rabbi but I will be conducting a funeral on Tuesday. Having led services a six ...
A: Lankin, Most of the funeral service is comprised of prayers of comfort and Psalms. In most Shabbat ...
|
| jewish death and bereavement protocol | 3/8/2005 |
Q: I have a very dear friend whose death from cancer will probably occur within the next 24 hours. He ...
A: I'm happy to answer your questions, but it isn't clear to me what your role will be when he dies. ...
|
| Thank you notes for condolence cards? | 1/11/2005 |
Q: My mother in law passed away last week and many people did wonderful things for us. (I am reform, ...
A: You should not be expected to thank someone who sent a condolence card. People in the Reform, ...
|
| Stone placed on grave markers in cemetaries | 6/7/2004 |
Q: What is the basis for stones placed on grave stones. I saw several at West Point Cemetary and ...
A: The grandparents and great-grandparents of most American Jews came from Eastern Europe, and this is ...
|
| Jewish Funeral Songs | 2/28/2004 |
Q: Friends have asked me to sing at the memorial service of their mother. The family is Jewish but have ...
A: My first suggestion would be to ask the family if there is anything that they would particularly ...
|
| funeral custom | 11/11/2003 |
Q: I am not Jewish but am very interested in Judasim. I attended an Orthodox burial in Swansea during ...
A: Some traditional Jews use shovels and ill the grave entirely. It is considered an act of love and ...
|
| parts of a jewish funeral service | 5/30/2003 |
Q: I'm a minister who is doing a brief service for a Jewish family (tomorrow). They describe themselves ...
A: Britton, I am sorry that this is a very complicated question that I can't possibly answer by email. ...
|
| Yarzheit prayers and candles | 3/27/2003 |
Q: My fiance converted to Judaism. His father was not Jewish. His father died 40 years ago ...
A: Since your fiance's family is not Jewish, he has no obligation to observe any of the rituals of ...
|
