Re: Digest for ckconversations@googlegroups.com - 5 updates in 3 topics
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HollyBlue Hawkins
Feb 11, 2026, 3:39:06 PMFeb 11
to ckconve...@googlegroups.com
Who is eligible for any given Chevra's Taharah team is an important question, with nuanced answers. For some Chevra Kadisha groups, criteria for admission is based on whether or not a candidate is a shomer Shabbat Jew; end of story. For others, simply being Jewish (whether by DNA or Beit Din), is sufficient. From this perspective, eligibility of the team members is the paramount consideration.
However, there are both aspirational and pragmatic considerations, and from my perspective the top priority is that a decedent is eligible for a Taharah, by virtue of a team being available to perform the ceremony. I do feel strongly that there should be a Jew present to offer the prayers and that the hands-on team members--Jewish or not--have the capacity to hold sacred space and provide the necessary skillfulness to accomplish the hands-on tasks with grace, care, and respect.
Yes, it is ideal for all the team members to be Jewish (by their agreed-upon standards). But deep in the diaspora it can sometimes be challenging to find a group of Jews who are qualified and available to perform the mitzvah. Is that any reason to deny a deceased Jewish person the final blessing of Taharah?
On Wed, Feb 11, 2026 at 10:29 AM <ckconve...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
- question about non-Jews participating on a tahara team - 2 Updates
- About this Group - 1 Update
- Accessible manuals - 2 Updates
Patricia Cluss <patclu...@gmail.com>: Feb 10 03:43PM -0500
We have discussed this in our chevra and have set the policy that all
members of a taharah team need to be Jewish, even if that means a team
needs to be smaller than optimal. I'm sure we might think differently if we
were in a small town with fewer Jewish people available. I'll be interested
in what others think.
Pat (she/her)
Pittsburgh, PA
On Mon, Feb 9, 2026 at 5:19 PM Elizabeth Feldman <lizfe...@gmail.com>
wrote:
Nancy Luberoff <nlub...@gmail.com>: Feb 11 07:30AM -0800
Our Chevra is synagogue-based and require that members of the Chevra also
be members of the synagogue. We instituted this policy after local
Messianic “Jews” asked to be members of our Chevra. It was cleaner to have
a blanket policy than to have to vet outside requests to join the Chevra.
Remarkably, several individuals have joined the synagogue because they
wanted to be part of the Chevra.
We have had several synagogue members join the Chevra while going through
the conversion process. I don’t think we’ve had requests from non-Jews to
join, but we would welcome them, just as we welcome them to other parts of
religious life at our Reform synagogue.
Here is the caveat. We had a situation a few years ago where we prepared a
body for burial at an Orthodox cemetery in New York. The cemetery would
not honor our tahara because we couldn’t confirm that all the members of
the Chevra team were halachically Jewish. Shockingly, they disturbed the
body and performed a second tahara.
Nancy Luberoff
Judea Reform Congregation Chevra Kadisha
Durham, North Carolina
Chevra Kadisha Conversations <ckconve...@googlegroups.com>: Feb 11 06:32AM -0800
*Welcome to Chevra Kadisha Conversations *
We’re glad you’re here.
This group is a shared conversation space for people engaged in, or curious
about, Chevra Kadisha and Jewish end-of-life care. It’s a place to ask real
questions, share lived experience, seek resources, and reflect together on
this sacred work.
Our conversations are guided by Kavod v’Nichum’s core values:
*Kavod (Honor):* We lead with respect for one another and for the
traditions we hold.
*Nechamah (Comfort & Support):* This work is tender and often heavy. We
show up with care.
*B’tzelem Elohim (In God’s Image):* Every person here is valued and
welcome, across identities, experiences, and Jewish paths.
*Hiddur Mitzvah (Elevating the Mitzvah):* We deepen and beautify this work
through learning, curiosity, and thoughtful adaptation.
*Kehillah (Community):* Wisdom lives in community. We are stronger when we
listen generously to one another.
*What This Space Is For *
- Genuine questions about Chevra Kadisha practice and Jewish end-of-life
care
- Sharing experience, insight, and lessons learned
- Requests for guidance or resources
- Thoughtful responses that engage with the original question
- Reflections that help us grow in this work
We come from different communities and traditions. Disagreement is natural;
disrespect is not. We ask everyone to participate with curiosity, humility,
and care.
Please also be mindful of *confidentiality*. Do not share identifying
details about individuals, families, or specific situations without
permission.
*What This Space Is Not For *
- Event announcements, fundraising appeals, marketing-style or
promotional content.
- Spam, harassment, discrimination, or demeaning behavior of any kind.
If you have something you believe would genuinely benefit the group, please
reach out to the moderators first.
This group is moderated by Kavod v’Nichum <https://kavodvnichum.org/>. Our
role is to steward a space that feels welcoming, thoughtful, and grounded.
Moderators may remove posts or comments that do not align with these
guidelines in order to protect the integrity of the space.
*Thank you for being part of this conversation — and for the care you bring
to this work and to one another.*
Patricia Cluss <patclu...@gmail.com>: Feb 10 12:49PM -0800
We have recently received a request to develop taharah manual(s) with
accessible formatting so that folks with dyslexia, autism and other
processing disabilities will be able to read the manual more easily. I
understand this can include some or all of:
-large print
-serif fonts for condensed paragraphs like in a book
-large print non serif fonts for single lines
-color contrasting for various visual needs
-color coding key information
-avoidance of bold print for low vision individuals
-dyslexia friendly fonts and brevity
-ensuring paragraph placement is compatible with speech to text
-clear use of visual aids
-braille and tactile images
Do any chevras out there have experience with creating manuals with
accessible formatting?
Pat Cluss (she/her)
New Community Chevra Kadisha
Pittsburgh, PA
Elizabeth Feldman <lizfe...@gmail.com>: Feb 10 04:22PM -0600
What a fantastic question, Pat.
Our PCK liturgy is up for revision this year, and we need to include these
accessibility features as well, so thank you so much for listing them. We
do currently have a large print laminated version, and there is color
coding for male/female/non-binary options. We have one gender-inclusive
liturgy.
With care,
Liz
On Tue, Feb 10, 2026 at 2:49 PM Patricia Cluss <patclu...@gmail.com>
wrote:
--
Liz Feldman, MD (she/her)
Evanston, Illinois
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