Cremation | Chabad of Patchogue
Written by Rabbi Anchelle Perl from Chabad of Mineola in New York
Is this the Jewish nachas
you wish to "urn" from your children?
The choice by many to cremate is mostly due to lack of understanding and knowledge. What happens to the soul after death makes all the difference in burial decisions. To be buried gives truth to our belief that the life of a person does not end. Life is eternal. Burial purifies the body in preparation for its ultimate return at the time of the Revival of the Dead.
According to Jewish law, if a person insists that he not be buried, we may not listen to him. The body and the soul are partners forever. The body remains the eternal vessel for the soul, to be rewarded for providing the soul with the passion and intensity in fulfilling life's purpose.
Many Jews are asking if cremation is an acceptable alternative to in-ground burial. Isn't cremation simple and inexpensive? Isn't cremation quick and the least burden on my children? Jewish educators and funeral homes serving Jews report rapid increases in Jews asking about, and asking for, cremation. Cremation after death rose in the U.S. Projections are that 50% of all deaths will end in cremation.