Chevra Kadisha News - Published by Kavod v'Nichum

Tammuz 5762 - June 2002

 

Wow! Magnified and Sanctified, the one day conference sponsored by the Duke End of Life Institute, was both. Over 300 participants heard Samuel Heilman's insightful discussion of Jewish traditions around death and dying. Laurie Zoloff provided an intense analysis of a Talmudic portion on visiting the sick. Breakout sessions with Debbie Friedman and Dr. Ricki Goldstein a neonatologist, moved people to tears. Rabbi Jack Riemer was nothing less than brilliant with his insight into Naomi's tsoris and the support that allowed her to regain her life. Yes there is a video available for $45.

 

To top off the Duke workshop, Kavod v'Nichum and representatives of 10 Chevra Kadisha groups met. This may have been the widest geographic gathering of CK ever. Represented were Chapel Hill Conservative Congregation Beth El, Judea Reform, Chapel Hill Kehila, Raleigh, Portsmouth, VA, Tallahassee, FL, Victoria, BC,  Chesed Shel Emes in Winnipeg, MB, and Columbia Jewish Congregation in Columbia, MD 

The Red Balloon Group, a non-profit organization devoted to raising awareness about how to visit the ill and contributing constructively to their support network, raises money through the sale of "Show A Sick Person You Care" bookmarks. Eva Grayzel, their director, is a storyteller who has gained a profound insight from her life-threatening illness in 1998. Her inspirational folklore and personal stories highlight skills for finding strength from adversity, caring for the ill (especially when calling and visiting is uncomfortable) and raising a generation of children more comfortable with illness.

Shmira at 30th Street and 1st Ave, the 11 trailer "memorial park" at the NYC medical examiners office, started on September 20, 2001 and ended on April 30, 2002 on Lag B'Omer. For 222 days, 6 four-hour shifts a day, over 200 different people, over 1300 shifts totaling over 5,000 hours, volunteers read Tehillim and studied. Men and women, Orthodox and non-Orthodox, fluent Hebrew readers or not, all volunteers were coordinated by Arman Osgood from the First Hungarian Congregation Ohab Tzedek Chevra Kadisha. "This was a different kind of activity for a lot of people" he said. "Many had experience, some did not. People kept calling and saying they must go back."

 

Arman tells the story of his Rabbi who, while doing Shmira, was the only clergy person on site when a Roman Catholic family of a young fire fighter claimed the body of their son and asked for words of comfort. The family was most appreciative when the rabbi recited the El Maley Rachamim in English.

 

"Shmira for those killed in WTC tragedy was a tremendous Kiddush Ha-Shem, for the souls of the people, for the participants, for the Jewish community and for the non-Jewish community."  As a result of this experience Arman believes more people will get involved in Chevra Kadisha work, and he sees new groups, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist, involved in the Chevra Kadisha that were never before involved. "I don't believe in turning anyone away from any mitzvah", he concluded. 

After the Pentagon was hit on 9/11, search and rescue was unable to reach the Chevra Kadisha in Washington. When they finally called the Jewish Book Store in Wheaton, they reached Menachem Youlus, a member of the Baltimore Orthodox Chevra Kadisha. At the site, Menachem found great confusion. The intense heat disintegrated the flesh on many of the bodies. It was difficult to match body parts. Menachem called in a surgeon from NIH to help him. At first they were told there were 40 Jewish deaths and they had to scramble for additional tachrichim. The final count was 8 Jewish dead. The Levinson Funeral Home in Baltimore was very helpful. Menachem hopes that this experience will encourage CK groups to work together and be ready to respond in emergency situations. 
Does anyone have a response to Elizabeth S. Menkin from San Jose, California? She writes: "I see that the garment used in Jewish burials, called tachrichim, or shrouds, cost $100 when they show as a line-item in some burial plans on some Jewish Funeral websites.  Like everything else sold by the funeral industry, these are probably double or triple priced.  The garments are supposed to be made of simple linen or muslin, hand sewn.  Do you know of a source for direct purchase of these shrouds, or a source of a pattern by which I could sew them myself?" Send your response to zinner@jewish-funerals.org.

Elat Chayyhim, the Jewish Spiritual Retreat Center, has programs throughout the summer and fall. Two classes of note are from Torah Yoga for Healing and Visiting the Sick for Professionals and Lay People. 
The National Institute for Jewish Hospice accredits institutions that provide treatment to the Jewish terminally ill. Included in the price of $2,500 is a four hour training session with Rabbi Maurice Lamm and a one year membership. Call 800-446-4448 or 516-791-9888

Funeral Satisfaction from the Motley Fool web site discusses a recent survey and has lots of consumer advocacy links. 

Calling all Chevra Kadisha groups. We are building a contact database. Please let us know that you exist and how to reach you by completing the contact form on our website. If any of our readers knows of a Chevra Kadisha, please let us know how to get in touch with them. If you'd like to do a survey of Chevra Kadisha groups in your area, let us know that too. We appreciate any assistance.

Kavod v'Nichum wants to give individuals and organizations a way of showing support for Chevra Kadisha work.  We have set a goal to raise $100,000 to match foundation grants. So, with this issue of Chevra Kadisha News, Kavod v'Nichum announces the  -- Founding Member Campaign. Founding members will be praised and thanked and listed on our web site. We've set up two category names with suggested donations amounts for founding members. Shomer - $5-10,000 from non-profit funeral homes or $1,000 from Chevra Kadisha groups, bereavement committees or other groups.  And Chaver - $360 from individuals.  To all of the shomrim (guardians) and our chaverim (friends), please send your Founding Member contribution to Kavod v'Nichum, 8112 Sea Water Path, Columbia, MD  20145 or call David Zinner at 410-799-8070 or e-mail to zinner@jewish-funerals.org.  Todah rabah. Thank you.

Chevra Kadisha News is written for everyone with an interest in Jewish funeral, burial and mourning practices, especially participants in Chevra Kadisha groups, and anyone working with issues around Jewish funerals, Jewish cemeteries, synagogue and community funeral practices and bereavement committees. CK News has information about current events, upcoming conferences, interesting models, new publications and other resources. It is designed to be short enough to read in 10 minutes, but will have links that will provide additional detail.

This is a free e-mail newsletter, although we will gladly take donations. Your e-mail address will not be sold or given away. You can unsubscribe at any time. CK News is published monthly by Kavod v'Nichum, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to restoring to Jewish death and bereavement practice the traditions of kavod hamet (honoring the dead) and nichum avelim (comforting the bereaved). For more information see our web site at www.Jewish-funerals.org. To subscribe or see archived issues of CK News go to  http://www.Jewish-funerals.org/ck_news.htm. Subscription to CK News are also available by e-mailing zinner@jewish-funerals.org.