How Do Orthodox Jews Bury Their Dead?

Jewish burial practices are among the most dignified and humane traditions I know. In a culture that can make death into a spectacle — elaborate caskets, open viewings, costly displays — the Jewish approach is radically simple. Every person, rich or poor, is buried in the same plain white shrouds, in the same simple wooden casket. In death, everyone is equal.

Immediate Steps

When a Jewish person passes away, the first priority is kavod hamet — honoring the deceased. The body is never left alone from the moment of death until burial. A shomer (guardian) stays with the body at all times, often reciting Tehillim (Psalms).

Burial is arranged as quickly as possible — ideally within 24 hours, though delays are sometimes necessary for family to travel or due to Shabbat and holiday restrictions. The urgency is out of respect: the soul, according to Jewish tradition, is unsettled until the body is properly buried.

The Chevra Kadisha

The chevra kadisha (holy society) is a volunteer group that performs the tahara — the ritual washing and preparation of the body for burial. This is considered one of the greatest chesed (acts of kindness) in Judaism because the recipient can never repay you.

The tahara is performed with extraordinary reverence. The body is washed with warm water, in a specific order, while prayers and verses from Song of Songs are recited. The body is then dressed in tachrichim — simple white linen shrouds. Men are also wrapped in their tallit (prayer shawl), with one of the fringes cut to indicate it is no longer used for the mitzvah.

No makeup. No styling. No attempt to make the deceased "look alive." The respect is in the simplicity.

The Casket

Jewish law requires burial in a simple wooden casket — no metal, no elaborate finishes. Some caskets have holes drilled in the bottom to allow the body to return to the earth naturally. In Israel, burial is often done without a casket at all — the body in shrouds is placed directly in the ground.

This simplicity is intentional. The Talmud records that Rabban Gamliel, who was the leading sage of his generation, insisted on being buried in simple linen shrouds rather than expensive garments. He established this practice so that poor families would not be shamed by their inability to afford elaborate burials. From that point on, all Jews — rich and poor — were buried the same way.

The Funeral

Jewish funerals are simple and direct. There is a hesped (eulogy) — sometimes several — honoring the deceased. Tehillim are recited. The mood is grief, not celebration of life (that comes later, in the stories told during shiva).

At the cemetery, the casket is lowered into the ground and those present take turns shoveling earth onto the casket. This is a final act of kindness — personally participating in the burial rather than leaving it to workers. The sound of earth hitting the casket is one of the most difficult sounds in the world. But there is something important about not looking away from the reality of death.

After the casket is covered, the mourners recite Kaddish — the mourner's prayer, which, remarkably, does not mention death at all. It praises G-d. Even in grief, a Jew affirms faith.

What Is Not Done

• No cremation — Jewish law absolutely prohibits cremation. The body must be returned to the earth.
• No embalming — the body must return to the earth naturally.
• No open casket viewing — the deceased is not displayed.
• No flowers — instead of sending flowers, mourners make charitable donations in the deceased's name.

After the Burial

The mourners return home to sit shiva — seven days of mourning during which the community comes to comfort them, brings food, and forms a minyan (prayer quorum) in the shiva home so mourners can recite Kaddish. The mourners sit on low chairs, do not wear leather shoes, and cover mirrors in the home.

The structure of Jewish mourning — shiva (7 days), shloshim (30 days), and the full year of Kaddish for a parent — provides a framework for grief that gently brings the mourner back into normal life. It is psychologically brilliant, honestly. The grief is not denied or rushed. It is held by the community, given space, and slowly, carefully released.