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Note: All prices in US Dollars
Note: All prices in US Dollars
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All Wood Construction Caskets
Combining beauty and dignity with strict observance of Jewish tradition, this consumer-tested assortment of products reflects our suppliers many years of experience in serving the Jewish community.
Not constructed on the Sabbath or any Jewich holiday.Casket selection is largely a matter of personal choice however, for those who wish adhere to Orthodox Jewish law, the casket must meet certain requirements. For example, the casket must be made entirely of wood, and is traditionally a simple design with minimal ornamentation.
Christians can easily use Jewish caskets by not using the "Star of David," and adding a "Cross" if desired.
Absolutely no metals, plastics, stains, varnishes, or oils are used in our caskets, and our glue contains no formaldehyde. Two rows of three holes are placed in the bottom of the caskets to aid decomposition.
Rabbinical Certification
To Whom It May Concern: I have inspected the caskets manufactured by ARK Wood Caskets, and have found them to be of the highest quality, both from a Halachic and aesthetic standpoint. The caskets are made of a simple adorned wood, and have openings that allow for direct contact with the earth. I would recommend these caskets to ensure a dignified burial, allowing the deceased to meet their maker in full compliance with Jewish Law.
Rabbi Leonard Oppenheimer
Congregation Kesser Israel
136 SW Meade Ave
Portland, OR 97201
What Makes A Jewish Casket Different From All Other Cultures?
Society has various different methods to pay tribute to the deceased and as a result has just as much variety in funeral ceremonies. These ceremonies are as unique as the cultures adopting them. Almost all burials involve religious and cultural beliefs in as many ways as there are cultures. The ancient Egyptians had unique beliefs when it came to burying their dead. They believed that the dead need all the amenities the living have. Affluent Egyptians would commonly bury utensils, furniture, weapons, ornaments and even servants to follow the deceased into the afterlife. Even with such bizarre customs the Egyptians employed other customs not much different than the ones we use today. Burial caskets are one such example of a carryover from the Egyptian bereavement customs to the customs used today for death.
Funerals are heavy with sentiment, and that emotion follows every aspect of the burial, including the casket. Decorating the casket with flowers and engravings or ornaments imbedded is a well known practice of the day. Preparing the body for the casket is part of the complete process as well. Bathing and clothing the body has been an ancient practice as has embalming the body with chemicals and perfumes and placing the body in a specially designed casket. Burial caskets come in all designs and colors with prices to match, and can even be purchased online.
With the sentiment that is involved, care must be taken to find the casket that best honors the loved one. As a result there is a variety of burial caskets to choose from, up to 20 categories of good quality burial caskets within the undertaking business. These different categories are created by distinctions such as wood types. As an example of the distinctions possible, the different kinds of wood that are accessed are ash wood, cherry wood, mahogany, oak wood, and maple wood. The use of wood is popular as it decomposes with time and allows the body to decompose as well. Caskets must be able to cater to a range, including the unfortunate sizing for infants; there are also accommodations for size exemplified with the massive majesty size casket. Another distinction would be in the form of military specialization. The US burial management services have their own special categories of caskets such as military, religious, art, and custom-designed.
As for the procedure before the casket, the details should be looked after by the undertaker. Undertakers collect the body from the home or hospital, and then they bath and embalm the body based on the family's wishes. These services are specific to the burial plan chosen and paid for by the family of the deceased. The casket containing the body is placed in a chapel and then decorated with flowers and candles. These caskets may be closed or open to allow the family to have a last look at the deceased. This is known as the visitation service and is presided over by a religious figure of the community.
What makes a Jewish casket different is the orthodoxy of their burial procedures. Their burials are very straightforward as are the caskets. Jewish caskets are usually black without any sort of embellishment. Part of the Jewish orthodoxy involves not allowing the dead body to be seen. The main intention behind this is to honor the dead. Another peculiarity, Jewish caskets are designed to decompose fast along with the body as per the religious belief from dust to dust. Any form of special material used in making a casket will delay the decomposing process, which is against Jewish religious belief. This is the reason embalming of the body is not permitted in the Jewish community. A Jewish funeral is mainly concerned with consoling the bereaved and respectfully laying the departed at rest.
In closing, what is most significant is to find the most appropriate way to honor your loved one based upon your own background and traditions whether it be by orthodoxy and tradition, or by the way the burial is arranged, or by the casket chosen.
The Jewish Funeral
Death is the crisis of life. How a man handles death indicates a great deal about how he approaches life. As there is a Jewish way of life, there is a Jewish way of death.DEATH RITUALS:
The mitzvah of preparing and burying a body is highly valued in the Jewish tradition because it is an act performed without any possible ulterior motive, such as hope of recompense. The funeral and burial arrangements are traditionally seen as a community responsibility.
The Moment of Death:
During the last minutes of life, it is customary that one should not leave the room, out of respect for the dying person. The confession recited before Death is.Understand O Israel the lord our God is one. I acknowledge before thee, my God, God of my fathers, that my recovery and my death are in your hands. May it be your will to heal me completely, but if I should die, may my death be an atonement for all sins that I have committed."On witnessing or hearing of a death, one should say the following berakhah (though it is often said at the funeral itself):"Blessed are you, lord our God, King of the universe, the true Judge."At the moment of death (or else at the funeral as is customary today) the immediate relatives perform the traditional Jewish act of mourning and grief, beriah or the tearing of a garment. In the house of mourning, "mirrors should the covered to de-emphasize the beauty and ornamentation of the flesh at a time when another person's body has begun to decay". In accordance with the highest degree of respect for the deceased, the body is not to be left alone from the moment of death until the burial. The family should arrange for someone to be at the side of the deceased at all times reciting psalms. Since the family is distraught, mourners are not obligated to perform any positive commandments (e.g. tifillen) until after the funeral.
TAHARAH:
The practice of taharah, the ritual washing of the body, is on absolute must. The specific steps of the taharah are performed by the funeral home It is wise to check to be sure that the funeral home director is acquainted with the details of the ceremony for washing. The taharah is accompanied by the recitation of prayers and psalms, appropriate to the situation. The body is washed thoroughly from head to foot and the deceased's face is never allowed to look downwards out of respect to the deceased. A detailed and concise description of the taharah procedure as well as other duties of the Hevra Kadisha can be found in Laman.*
DRESSING THE BODY:
Jewish tradition recognizes the egalitarian nature of death. Tradition demands that all Jews, rich and poor alike, should be buried in the same garment. The traditional garment, as it was originally by Raban Gamaliel, is takhrikhein , shrouds - simple, handmade, perfectly white and clean. The shrouds symbolize purity and dignity. Shrouds have no pockets and so no material wealth can be placed in them.
"Not a man's possessions but his soul is of importance".
Men should be buried with a tallit over the shroud - some authorities also state that one of the fringes should be cut.
THE ARON:
(Casket) "For dust you are and to dust you shall returns". The purpose of burial is that the body can decompose and return naturally to the earth. The basic requirement is a coffin made of wood, preferably pine wood. In Jewish traditions, wealth and elegance are not recognized as means for showing respect to the deceased.
THE FUNERAL:
It has been the Jewish practice for the funeral to take place within 24 hours after the moment of death, though it is permissible to wait a bit longer for relatives to arrive. The attendance at the funeral is seen as additional honor to the deceased. It was considered a great humiliation to the dead to leave them unburied because the body should return to earth and should decompose as soon as possible. A service takes place at the funeral home during which psalms and prayers are recited and eulogies and given. Friends of the deceased carry the coffin from the funeral home to the hearse and from the hearse to the burial sites. The act is considered a hesed shelemet, an act of truthful and pure loving kindness because there cannot possibly be any ulterior motive involved ; the dead person can never repay the people for their assistance in his burial.
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