Pronounced: KHEV-ruh ka-DEESH-uh, Origin: Aramaic, Jewish burial society, a group of volunteers who prepare the body for burial and, in some cases, coordinate food and visitors for the mourners.
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Ask the Expert: Sitting With the Dead
The practice of shmirah ensures a body is never left alone before burial.
Torah Study For the Dead
Some Jews consider Torah study, and particularly Mishnah, to be a potent tool for elevating the souls of the departed.
The Well of Grief
When a community comes together to dig the well of grief, streams of life-giving water can flow from the depths