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Jewish Culture Vs Modern American Culture Essay

Decent Essays

900129666
Dr. Cowser
English 102
Essay 1
2/18/2017

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die…” (KJV, Ecclesiastes 3:2)

This knowledge of death is common among many, including both Jewish and Modern Americans. However, even though this idea of inevitable death is noted in both Jewish texts and the Bible, the burial practices are not so similar. Early Jew and Modern American customs differ in terms of preparation of the body, funeral services and burial. Showing respect for the deceased is common among both cultures, however the way respect is shown is key to understanding their customs. Once death is pronounced, many Modern Americans begin preparing for the funeral. A blog on decorativeurns.com states that the actual funeral can take place between three to seven days after death (“When to Schedule”). Jewish traditions differ from Modern Americans at this point. Maurice …show more content…

The reason for this is because it is considered disrespectful to have the body of the deceased up for display to be viewed therefore the casket is shut and not reopened immediately following tahara. Americans, however, see a wake as an opportunity to say the last goodbyes (“Jewish Mourning”). During wakes in America there are flowers around and sometimes on top of the casket. It is mostly for decoration. In contrast, Jewish customs shun the use of flowers during the process of burial. This is because flowers are considered to symbolize life and during a funeral it’s about death (“Jewish Mourning”). During a Modern American wake, family members normally come together to pay respects to the deceased and send condolences to the bereaved. A day or two after the wake the funeral is scheduled. Another comparison in funeral customs between Modern Americans and Jews are how they carry out the

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