Losing a loved one is often a stressful, emotionally charged situation. When planning a funeral service, it's important to keep the deceased's faith in mind to ensure that the ceremony respects and honors their beliefs. If your loved one was Jewish, you might feel intimidated about making funeral arrangements that observe this faith. However, by following these tips, you can ensure that the ceremony celebrates your loved one and follows Jewish tradition.

What Are Some Tips for Planning Jewish Funeral Services?

1. Pick the Appropriate Location

Jewish funeral services can occur in several places. However, the most common locations are the graveside, a funeral home, or a synagogue. You can hold the ceremony exclusively in one place, like the graveside. Another option is to start the service in a synagogue or funeral home and end it at the cemetery with the person's burial. 

2. Know the Timelines

Traditional Jewish burials must occur as soon as possible. Ideally, burial will transpire within 24 hours of a person's death to show respect to the deceased. There are exceptions to this rule. For instance, Jewish funeral services are not held on the Sabbath or most Jewish holidays. Other exceptions include legal issues or investigations surrounding the death. 

Authorities might not release the body within the 24-hour timeline, so a delay is necessary. It may also be required to wait a couple of days to hold the funeral to allow family members and friends of the deceased to travel to the service's location. 

3. Don't Embalm or Choose Fancy Furnishings

Embalming is a common practice for preserving a loved one's body for the funeral service. However, Jewish people believe the body should return to the earth clean, pure, and naked. Because of that belief, embalming should only be done if it is legally required. Otherwise, it is best to ensure the body stays refrigerated instead of embalmed. 

Before the ceremony, ensure your loved one is dressed in a plain white muslin or linen shroud called tachrichim to symbolize purity and equity in the eyes of God. They shouldn't have any pockets to carry earthly possessions into the next world. 

A simple, all-wood casket void of metal parts is ideal. Because Jewish customs say that people should return to the earth as quickly as possible after death, a bare wood casket will become one with the earth quicker than a metal one.

No matter which faith your deceased loved one followed, the compassionate staff at Northcutt & Son Home for Funerals will help you plan a lovely and respectful funeral service. Located in Morehead, KY, this family-owned and -operated funeral home will guide you through the funeral planning process. Besides funerals and memorial services, they also offer monuments, headstones, and markers for any budget. Learn more about their comprehensive funeral services online or call (606) 784-6491 24 hours a day for assistance.