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From This World to the Next: Death and Mourning in the Jewish Tradition
From: Columbia University
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 uch of Jewish observance revolves around those elements collectively referred to as "life cycle events." Most of these events, such as birth, circumcision, bar/bat mitzvah and marriage are associated with great joy. They are milestones that symbolize the progress made during the journey along the road of life. The end of that road is death, the final "life cycle event." In this online exhibition, the
library of the Jewish Theological Seminary (www.jtsa.edu/library/exhib/fromd/exhibwindow.html) examines how Jews have traditionally related to death and mourning. |
 | | | Yahrzeit plaque from Germany, circa 1920. |
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The exhibit uses images of religious artifacts to explain Jewish customs related to death. The accompanying text begins by outlining traditional obligations for burial of the dead in both Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities. There is an explication of Jewish laws and practices for mourning, including elegies, eulogies and the observance of a deceased person's yahrzeit (anniversary of death). Finally, the exhibition discusses the Jewish tradition's varied collection of teachings and opinions regarding the afterlife. |
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