Making caskets for congregants **REQUEST FOR INFO**

[Betty]

As some of you know, my congregation was inspired by one of the early NavodvNichum conferences to begin making tachrichim for our community members, donated free at time of need. (See www.threadsoftradition.org). This has been successful and is ongoing.

Under the leadership of our new rabbi (prior senior rabbi retired, junior rabbi took head position) we are looking at initiating a project of making simple caskets to donate to congregants at time of need.  I am interested in finding out who else has done this, and how you have made them. 

I have gotten great information from Rabbi Daniel Wasserman in Pittsburg and from Kerry Swartz in Vancouver about how they make their caskets. I have also researched kits online (Arkwood, EveryBody, Northwoods, Kent) to look at cost, complexity, strength, and weight; looking for something not too ugly, and lid must not break if a big rock gets dropped in during during fill-in. I will be glad to share the results of my searches (email me off-group)

** I would appreciate hearing what others have done, successful or not. And if you have a reliable supplier of SIMPLE wood caskets at very affordable prices, let me know where you get them, and other details.**

To answer a question asked already, we do NOT have a LOCAL Jewish funeral home, nor a convenient place to do our own taharah, but we have been organizing shmira (sitting in the synagogue library with AC on) whenever possible. The recently-retired rabbi was a strong leader in having simple graveside services where everyone participates in covering the casket with earth, forming two lines for the exiting mourners, and teaching that shiva as a time to sit with the mourner an listen, not nosh and socialize.