Authors: Rochel U. Berman
ISBN-13: 9789657108666, ISBN-10: 9657108667
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Urim Publications
Date Published: May 2005
Edition: (Non-applicable)
"A basic tenet of Judaism is the obligation to value and serve the deceased, to extend dignity beyond death. In Judaism, a death is the affair of the entire community. Preparation of the dead for burial is undertaken by a community organization called the Chevra Kadisha, the Sacred Society. The volunteers of the Sacred Society quietly and privately wash, purify and dress the deceased. They simultaneously recite lyrical prayers from Psalms, thereby bearing witness to death as the last of life's important passages." Dignity Beyond Death examines the rituals of preparing the dead for burial from the point of view of those volunteers who undertake it, including chapters on the Holocaust and terrorism. For the first time, through personal interviews, the author shares a wealth of anecdotal material that will engage the reader in the humanity and ultimate dignity of this time-honored deed.
1 | The final act of loving-kindness | 25 |
2 | At death's door | 47 |
3 | Working together | 64 |
4 | Meeting the challenge | 77 |
5 | Personal impact | 93 |
6 | Tahara - the family dimension | 107 |
7 | Dignity in the face of the Holocaust | 125 |
8 | Dignity in the wake of terrorism | 140 |
9 | Creating a caring community | 155 |
10 | Informing the uninformed | 169 |
Coming full circle | 187 | |
App | Sample Tahara procedure manual | 192 |
App | Sample Tahara certificate | 212 |