Question 1

Overview

Accepted Answer

With the current rate of cremation at around 50%, it is crucial to educate our community on the importance of traditional Jewish burial.

It is important to understand that many people choose cremation due to cost or due to personal beliefs. In response, we must provide alternative options that align with Torah values, and do our utmost to remove the cost barriers and to educate on the Jewish perspective to burial and kavod hames.

We work towards preventing cremation by providing education, resources, and alternatives. By promoting kvuras Yisroel  and discouraging cremation, we can ensure that our loved ones receive a proper and respectful Jewish burial.

Question 2

1) Have a plan

Accepted Answer

The first effort must be directed toward making Jewish burial available to your communities.  Many shluchim live in locations that don’t have a chevra kadisha, a Jewish cemetery, or funeral homes that cater to the Jewish community.

The first and most important step is to cultivate a working relationship with local funeral homes.

One effective approach is to introduce yourself to the local funeral homes and pitch the idea of servicing the Jewish community. It is essential to explain the Jewish funeral process and the specific needs and requirements of a Jewish burial.

Since funeral homes are interested in business, Shluchim have had success in negotiating with them to absorb expenses related to taharah and other Jewish burial customs.

Another important step is to work on obtaining land for a Jewish cemetery. This can be achieved by exploring options for purchasing land or negotiating with local cemeteries to set aside a section specifically for Jewish burials. There are halachic requirements and ramifications for this; please consult with a rov throughout the process of establishing a Jewish cemetery.

In addition, it is worth exploring the option of transporting the niftar to a location that offers more affordable burial options, or even free burial services for those who might otherwise opt for cremation.

Question 3

2)  Raise The Subject

Accepted Answer

After step 1, the next important step is education.

Burial is not an easy subject to raise, but if we don’t raise it and influence these decisions before people make them, it will be much more difficult to reverse them after they have been made.

Raise the subject in Hebrew school, during bar mitzvah lessons, sermons, shiurim, and personal conversations. dedicate at least one of the High Holiday sermons to this subject and make a point of raising it several times throughout the year. introduce the subject in the weekly emails. 
A very good time to bring it up is during a funeral.

There is no age that is too early to start talking about the neshama and what happens after death and kevuras Yisroel, or to go to meet with someone to discuss the topic However, it’s often recommended to focus on those aged 50+ — which is when people typically work on their wills.

Many people are not necessarily opposed to burial; they simply are unaware of the crucial importance of kvuras Yisroel. Once the reasons and the consequences are explained, most people agree to provide their loved ones with eternal rest. To ensure that their wishes are known, encourage people to document their wishes in writing, preferably with witnesses or notarization.
There are legal documents on the website for this. This way no one would consider cremating just because they didn’t make their wishes explicitly known.

When visiting a severely ill patient in the hospital, invite the family to a different room and ask them if they have made arrangements for burial. If they have, ask to review the arrangements. Leave a copy of The Jewish Mourner’s Companion for them. This conversation obviously needs to be held with an enormous amount of tact and sensitivity, and you need to make clear that your concern is purely out of care for the family and for the person’s eternal soul.

Question 4

3) Da Mah Shetashiv

Accepted Answer

If we want to educate our community properly, we must first study the subject so that we have the answers to the questions that people ask.

The key is to be passionate about the subject. If the shliach feels that this is important, it will come across that way to the people.

People are motivated by different concerns and it is critical that we ascertain the reason a family or an individual is opposed to burial.

The most important point to convey is that we continue to live after the body has passed away. Once people appreciate that there is life after the body’s passing, they can appreciate that what we do to our body is important because it can affect us.

One is allowed to stretch the truth to get someone to have kvuras Yisroel.

For more talking points look at the talking points resource document.

Question 5

4) Legal Recourse

Accepted Answer

In the event that a niftar has expressed their desire for cremation, there still is legal recourse to prevent it from happening. If a close relative is in opposition to cremation, they can seek the assistance of a lawyer who can issue a signed document to halt the cremation process.

It is important to note that even if the niftar has purchased a cremation plan, there have been cases where a judge has approved a request from the next of kin to change the arrangement to a traditional burial.

Question 6

5) Determination

Accepted Answer

This final step is not one that you can take in advance, but you can prepare yourself for it by contemplating the subject in advance so that you are up to the challenge when the time comes.

To save a Jew from cremation and arranging for a Jewish funeral entails true passion, a willingness to help, a healthy dose of resourcefulness, and most importantly, dogged determination.

Success in shlichus often requires determination, but especially in these situations. When you first call, expect to be met with dismissive finality and with a healthy dose of resentment. You must develop a thick skin and push past the resistance. Push delicately, but persistently. If there is any chance of success, it can only come if you persist.

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