Sanctuary's primary work is Jewish burial. The chevra kadisha, the taharah, the simple wooden aron, the procession, the kaddish at the graveside — the things observant practice asks of a funeral. Around that primary work we coordinate the shiva minyan, the meals brought to the family, the home preparation, and — eleven months on — the unveiling at the grave.
Pre-planning is offered as a mitzvah; we do not charge for the conversation. We mention cremation here only to acknowledge that some families request it; observant practice generally does not include cremation, and Sanctuary will refer those requests to another firm. Our work is the older practice.
The full liturgy of Jewish burial. Care of the deceased on premises from the moment of death; coordination with Pittsburgh's chevra kadisha for the taharah; arrangement of shomrim through the night; the simple wooden aron and the tachrichim; the chapel service, the procession, and the burial — including the first shovelfuls of earth placed by the family — within twenty-four hours of death where law and cemetery permit.
Read more →Preparing the home for the seven days of mourning: covering the mirrors, arranging the low chairs, setting up the candle and the basin at the entrance. Coordinating the shiva minyan with the family's congregation each evening of the week. Arranging the meal of consolation and the meals brought by the community. We come to the house. We bring what the family needs.
Read more →Eleven months after burial, the family returns to the grave. The stone is placed; the cloth is drawn back; the kaddish is said. Sanctuary coordinates the date with the cemetery, arranges the stone with our long-standing stone-cutter in McKees Rocks if the family wishes, and is present at the gathering. We have witnessed thousands of unveilings in seventy-two years.
By appointment · call the chapelThe conversation worth having before it has to be had. We sit with families at the kitchen table or in the chapel parlor and walk through what the day might look like: the rabbi, the chevra kadisha, the cemetery, the readings, the shiva, the stone. There is no charge. There is no obligation. The relief is real.
Read more →