What is Chevra Kadisha?

Preparing Jewish bodies for burial.

Like any Jewish ritual or tradition, answers about taharah or Chevra Kadisha will depend on who you ask. Modern Jewish adherents, including CK members, are typically divided into the following denominations: Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist.

I converted to Judaism in a conservative synagogue but feel most comfortable in a reform setting. At the moment, I’m unaffiliated (meaning, I don’t belong to a particular synagogue) and participate in an inclusive, progressive Chevra Kadisha in Chicago.

I am also a death doula who proudly serves members of the Jewish community no matter their level of observance. So keep that lens in mind while reading this.

And argue amongst yourselves.

History of Chevra Kadisha

Most Americans of Jewish descent hail from Ashkenazi Jews. It’s one of two major ancestral groups that comes from France and Central and Eastern Europe, including Germany, Poland, and Russia.

The other ancestral group is Sephardic Jews, including those whose ancestors liv…