Non-Jewish funeral home / Jewish community assessment needed

[Rabbi Regina Sandler-Phillips]

Henry, where are you (geographically)?  What is the population of your Jewish community, and how often have you encountered the situation you describe?

I deeply appreciate the personal experiences of Isaac, Sandy, Libby and others.  I also agree with Kerry that the ubiquitous Chabad is often most available to provide Jewish support services in less Jewishly-developed parts of the world--often without charge, since they are internationally funded.

But for me, Henry's scenario ("Doing tahara is the Jewish community’s responsibility.  The cost of importing one or more persons would be borne by the family") raises many questions of community assessment over the long term.  The focus should  be less on the funeral home, and more on the local Jewish community itself.

This is a potential "galvanizing event"--a situation that many of our communities have faced before beginning the process of organizing our own sacred fellowships.  There are no easy answers, but many possibilities.

 

Henry, I look forward to learning more about the potential for moving from one-time crisis toward more pro-active caring infrastructure in your particular Jewish community.  As we have often seen in other areas, a non-Jewish funeral home may offer unexpected advantages:

Second (Non-Jewish) Funeral Home to Offer Low-Cost Funerals

The Final Journey - A Tale of Two Cities

A Plain Pine Box

With many blessings for the month of Consoling Av, healing, hope and peace,

Regina

Rabbi Regina Sandler-Phillips, MSW, MPH

Director, WAYS OF PEACE Community Resources

 

"In cities of diversity...we organize ourselves and our money...

to sustain the poor...and visit the sick...and bury the dead...and comfort the bereaved...

for these are ways of peace." (Jerusalem Talmud, Tractate Gittin)

On Sun, Jul 27, 2014 at 1:48 PM, H. Wulf <hw...@juno.com> wrote:

The funeral home advertises that it will provide the facilities and supplies to do a Jewish funeral.  Doing tahara is the Jewish community’s responsibility.  The cost of importing one or more persons would be borne by the family.

 

I have a couple of questions about importing people:

·        What if the cost of importing a person or a group is too much?  Suppose, for example, the family is indigent.

·        Would the timing make a difference?  For example, what if the funeral were delayed several days before you could organize a proper tahara?