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Jews are blessed with many traditions and rituals that guide and enrich their daily lives. This is most evident by the way they mark life cycle events. Some of the least understood and most important of the rituals are the ones followed when burying the dead. As with many Jewish traditions, they learn of this responsibility from the torah. They are told of the great lengths to which Abraham went to secure a proper burial…

CHEVRA KADISHA SUPPORT: The Jewish way of dealing with death is one part of a larger philosophy of life in which all people are viewed with dignity and respect. Even after death, the body, which once held a holy human life, retains its sanctity. In Jewish tradition, therefore, the greatest consideration and respect is accorded the dead. Funeral customs are traditionally supervised in Jewish communities by a chevra kadisha, a holy society, comprised of volunteers…

Simplicity contained in six pieces of wood Excerpts from an Article By PAUL FATTIG Published in the Southern Oregon Mail Tribune Paul Firnstein didn’t start out in life to become a maker of caskets. “I got into this business because of a need we had here,” said Firnstein, 61, of Ashland. After doing some research, he and some friends made a couple of plain wooden caskets that were inexpensive and contained no metals, no animal-based…