THE NEW COMMUNITY CHEVRA KADISHA
Taharah is the traditional Jewish ritual that prepares the meit / meitah / meiteh (the deceased) for burial.
Performing the taharah ritual is the work of the chevra kadisha, the Sacred Society. The chevra kadisha performs the taharah ritual with k’vod hameiteh (respect for the dead), ensuring that the traditions of preparing the body for Jewish burial are carried out. A chevra kadisha’s greatest concern is the sensitive care and dignity of the deceased. It is said that this mitzvah is one of the most important because one can never be thanked by the person receiving it.
The New Community Chevra Kadisha (NCCK) follows traditional taharah practices. Members of the NCCK represent a diverse spectrum of individuals from the greater Pittsburgh Jewish community.
Every NCCK member can tell you why it is important and meaningful for them to participate in the mitzvah of taharah. Some feel an enhanced spirituality by doing this mitzvah; others feel deeply the comfort of acting on behalf of the deceased’s family; others find it an important way of expressing their Judaism whether they see themselves as particularly religious or not. Everyone is proud to be serving the community.
Image Courtesy of Rabbi Me’irah Iliinsky http://www.versesilluminated.com/