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Tonight is 7 Adar, the day according to Jewish tradition that Moses was born and died. His burial place could not be known to humans, so God had to bury him. And so it has become, among Ashkenazi Jews, a day of celebrating Jewish burial societies. 1/2
I’m feeling deep gratitude for of all the communal burial societies, the “chevra kaddisha”s, most volunteer-run, who carried out their work on an unimaginable scale this year behind the scenes, fulfilling the ultimate selfless act of kindness for the deceased- Chesed shel emet.
To those of us who have served on a chevra kadisha this year, we celebrate you tonight. Words can't express our gratitude for your immeasurable service.
For those who've asked The chevrah kaddisha traditionally stays with the deceased until burial (shemirah) & prepares the body ritually (taharah) - washing, dressing in traditional shrouds, and placing in a simple pine box (or just a prayer shawl, as is the tradition in Israel.
The chevrah (or hevrah) kaddisha – חברה קדישא–exists throughout the Jewish world, though many Jews might not even know of them. However, the custom of their having a festive meal on this date arose only in Eastern Europe.
Here are some relevant resources: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hevra-kaddisha-or-burial-society/
