Many of the Jewish do not agree with this practice, because of their belief that humans are created in God’s image and that the body is sacred and should not be destroyed in a process such as cremation.  The Jewish culture overall has considered it paganistic, and in years past traditional burial was preferred, and still is today.

According to Torah, the primary document of Judaism, life is a gift from God.  Each person is created with a body and soul, but the essence of each person is contained in the soul and the body is simply a vessel that is “borrowed” from God.  The belief is that anything that is on loan is to be returned to the owner, so cremation destroys the vessel that carries houses the soul.  The Torah is God’s instructions that are revealed to the Jewish on how to think, act and feel about life and death.

A traditional Jewish burial honors the deceased by treating the body with enormous compassion, care and respect.  During the wake, a shomer (or watch person) stays constantly with the body of the deceased at the funeral home until the funeral. This time is spent reciting Tehillim, or Psalms, for the merit of the soul.

Cremation is not something that is looked upon favorably in Judaism.  After the Holocaust, it is unacceptable to many to think that a Jewish person would want to be cremated and have their body treated in an undignified and horrible manner as they view what was done by Hitler.

In most instances, cremation is absolutely against Jewish law.  Shiva, or mourning, is not observed if a Jew decides to be cremated at death.  Some who abhor cremation have the belief that those who are cremated have abandoned all of Jewish law and have given up their rights to honor after death.

In the eyes of the Jewish, a traditional burial is sacred and not to be taken lightly.  The soul must remain in the vessel that held it, and which was created by the Almighty.  Although cremation is a ritual that is for the most part not accepted in Judaism, these cremation urns are available for those who want them. Below you will find a very useful video on Judaism and funerals by Jonathan Ginsburg.

Video by www.jewu.info