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A Glimpse into a Jewish Green Burial

5/27/2021

 
Picture
By Holly Blue Hawkins
© 15 March 2021

The Rabbi’s voice rang out, singing the words of the 18th
century sage Rebbe Nachman, above the wailing of mourners guiding the pallbearers. “All the world is just a narrow bridge….” We paused seven times along the way as if to say, “We don’t want to do this,” then resolutely moved on to fulfill the divine decree “you shall surely bury.” The open grave with mounds of dirt piled to either side seem like earthen wings spread wide to gather this one back into the nest. The opening is hand-carved with care, its floor gently arched to the center so that the lowering straps can be gracefully removed.
Within the simple, kosher casket lies a body that has been prayed over, bathed, ceremonially purified with flowing water and guarded. “You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water, a rill of Lebanon….” It has been dressed in the simple, white garments of the High Priest on Yom Kippur, casketed with the utmost care, enveloped in a shroud of natural fiber and (if it was their custom) wrapped in a prayer shawl.

The garments, woven of cotton or linen, have no pockets, or fasteners other than cloth sashes that are ceremonially tied with slip knots in a manner representing one of the holy names. Soil from Israel is placed within the casket, touching the skin of the deceased as if to guide the way home, and holes have been drilled in the floor to welcome the natural process to occur without delay. “The Holy One will guide you always. You shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose waters do not fail….”

There is a sound that, once you have heard it, you will never forget. It is begun by the chief mourners: spouse, parents, children, siblings. It is the belly-deep resonance of earth thumping against the lid of a coffin. Like a glass being crushed beneath the heel of a newlywed, it proclaims, “This has happened and there is no turning back time.” 

It is a mitzvah, a holy act, to bury our dead, but not one we do eagerly. I do not hand the shovel to you, you do not hand it to me. Each of us pulls it from the mound of earth waiting to be returned to the open grave, and then returns the shovel to the waiting mound, for those who follow to complete their own regretful act of love and care. We may well turn the spade upside down, fulfilling the mitzvah, but taking less than a full shovel-load. I may decide to use my hands instead, to feel the earth encroaching between my fingers, perhaps imagining it reclaiming the remains of this beloved we are burying as a community.

This is kavod hameit, respecting the body of the deceased. As we leave the cemetery we ceremonially wash our hands and return to the role of caring for the living.

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  • Welcome
  • About
    • 2021 Annual Report
    • 2020 Annual Report
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • History
    • Boards of Directors >
      • Board Members
    • Staff Members
    • GBC Quick Facts
    • Leadership Award
  • Find GBC Providers
    • Interactive Maps
    • Cemeteries
    • Funeral Homes >
      • United States A—N
      • United States O—Z
      • Canada A–N
      • Canada O-Z
    • Product Providers
  • Certification
    • What is GBC Certification?
    • Our Standards
    • Become Certified
    • Provider Benefits and Pricing
    • Compliance Specialists
  • Education
    • Learn >
      • Green Burial Defined
      • FAQ >
        • Hybrid Cemeteries FAQ
        • Natural Burial FAQ
        • Conservation Burial FAQ
      • Starting a Green Cemetery
      • Potential Funding Sources
      • Green Funerals Course
      • Green Cemetery Course
      • Green Burial and Covid-19
      • Green Burial Glossary
      • Other Disposition Options
    • Multimedia >
      • GBC Publications
      • Photo Gallery
      • Articles Archive
    • Advocate >
      • Outreach Tools
      • Speakers Bureau
    • Research >
      • Academic Papers
      • Disposition Statistics
      • Green Cemetery Survey Results
    • Tell Your Story >
      • Blog
      • Green Burial Stories >
        • Bob Swift
        • Tom Bonk
        • Barbara Beye Lorie >
          • Text and Audiovisual
        • Scott
  • Events
    • GBC Conference Session Recordings
    • GBC Conference 2022 >
      • GBC Conference 2022 Agenda
      • 2022 Conference Recordings
      • 2022 Conference Sponsors and Exhibitors
    • GBC Conference 2021 >
      • 2021 Conference Recordings
      • 2021 Conference Sponsors
    • GBC Conference 2020 Recordings
    • Peer-to-Peer Forums >
      • Forums
      • Resources
    • What's Happening
  • Giving
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Friend of the GBC
  • Connect
    • Contact Us
    • Partner Organizations
    • Promotion and Mission Partner Application
    • Newsletters