The Hevra Kadisha Brotherhoods

The Hevra Kadisha, literally "holy brotherhood" in Aramaic, is the communal association responsible for preparing the deceased according to Jewish rite and accompanying bereaved families. Its members perform the ritual washing of the body (tahara), keep vigil beside the deceased, and organize burial in accordance with halakha. Attested in numerous communities since the Middle Ages and more formally structured in the modern era, it often constituted one of the most respected charitable institutions of local Jewish life. Serving within the Hevra Kadisha was considered an act of particularly meritorious charity (hesed shel emet), performed for one who cannot reciprocate. These brotherhoods have left behind registers, customaries, and sometimes ritual objects that illuminate the social history of communities.

Sources & resources

• Encyclopaedia Judaica — 2e éd., Keter/Macmillan
• The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe ↗