Re: [jewish-funerals] Digest for jewish-funerals@googlegroups.com - 5 updates in 3 topics

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Anita S. Finkel

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Jun 19, 2014, 8:50:15 PM6/19/14
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Our local funeral home just purchased new tables that work very well and are easy to adjust, lock, etc.

Manufacturer is Ferno
Model # 101-H Operating Table
(937) 382-1451 is the phone number for the company in Ohio

Anita Finkel
Congregation Agudtah Israel, Caldwell, NJ


Anita S. Finkel
Cell (973) 464-5055
asf...@aol.com



-----Original Message-----
From: jewish-funerals <jewish-...@googlegroups.com>
To: Digest recipients <jewish-...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Jun 19, 2014 7:15 am
Subject: [jewish-funerals] Digest for jewish-...@googlegroups.com - 5 updates in 3 topics

    "Dr. Joel Etra" <jetr...@gmail.com> Jun 17 04:12PM -0400  

    I lean toward Israel's position. While I agree that we have an obligation to educate, we have a greater obligation to comfort and mo obligation, or right, to enforce any tradition on anyone. Our greatest power lies in our ability to be there for people and be supportive as best we can.
     
    Dr Joel Etra
    Www.etraspeech.com
     
    Sent from my iPad
     
     
    Kerry Swartz <kerry....@gmail.com> Jun 18 06:48AM -0700  

    To me, if we are acting as the hands of Gd in the Taharah room, we are
    acting as his/her agent outside of it in our Chevra Kadisha roll. I've seen
    what other religions and cultures do; some are very similar to ours while
    others might even seem barbaric. If you must ask "who are we to ______?".
    then to me the simple answer is that we are Jews and, as such, we have an
    obligation to follow our ways, our rituals, our teachings. It's one thing
    to know about, understand and acknowledge other ways but, IMHO, it doesn't
    mean we emulate them, adopt them, incorporate them and tacitly engage in
    them.
     
     
    Libby Bottero <lbot...@comcast.net> Jun 18 11:37AM -0700  

    Very well said Joel. I agree with Israel's position too. Our chevra
    kadisha does inform people about traditional customs, and we also
    respect the end-of-life choices made by the individual and/or his or her
    family, whether they choose burial or cremation, taharah, shmirah,
    shivah minyan, or some combination of practices. Our primary obligation
    is the mitzvah to comfort and support the mourners.
     
    We have discussed the cremation vs burial topic many times on this list,
    and I think it is one of those issues that we just agree to disagree
    about while trying to honor the views of others. There is a wide range
    of beliefs and practices among Jews today. And as chevra members, we
    serve the whole Jewish community -- including orthodox, conservative,
    reform, reconstructionist, renewal, and non-affiliated.
     
    While we are all Jewish, we don't necessarily practice kashrut or
    celebrate Shabbat in exactly the same way, nor do we all make the same
    end-of-life choices for a variety of reasons. The assumption that
    someone chooses cremation for reasons of ignorance or finances is not
    always accurate. Some people have personal well-thought out reasons that
    are historical, environmental, family custom, etc; it has been a common
    practice among many Reform Jewish families for well over a century. Some
    people believe in the physical resurrection of the dead at the time of
    Moshiach; others do not believe that at all. Whatever our own personal
    beliefs and practices, I think all of us who do this CK work strive to
    treat every person with respect in life and in death, in a spirit that
    is both holy and humbling.
     
    Libby
     
     
     
     
     
     
    On 06/17/2014 01:12 PM, Dr. Joel Etra wrote:
     
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