Kesher Talk

A time for mourning, a time for celebrating. Always a mainstay of traditional communities, the chevra kadisha - the volunteer organization in the Jewish community which prepares dead people for burial according to Jewish law and takes charge of meeting the needs of the grieved family - is making a comeback among liberal Jews. Jewish small world department: I am a member of three of the congregations mentioned in the article, and I used to attend High Holy Days services in Philadelphia led by Rabbi Holztman, who was the first female rabbi I ever met, who opened the door for me to return to Judaism after decades away.

I was very moved by the story of a dedicated ad hoc chevra kadisha, the Stern College students who read Psalms every Shabbat for months in a tent next to refrigerated unidentified WTC remains. Read it if you haven't already.

posted by Judith @ 3/10/2003 09:22:28 PM