Jewish burial — halvayah, literally "the accompanying" — is the older practice. It is what observant families have done since the Mishnaic period and what most Pittsburgh families do today. It is also the practice the firm was founded for, in 1953, by Aaron Bernstein.
What follows is what is included in a traditional Jewish burial at Sanctuary, what is not, and roughly what it costs. The full General Price List is available on request and is provided at the first arrangement meeting.
Where Conservative, Reform, and Modern Orthodox practice differ — usually in the optional elements, occasionally in the required ones — we work to the family's observance and the family's rabbi. We do not impose our own preferences on the family's tradition.
What's included.
- Care of the deceased on the premises of the chapel from the time of removal until burial
- Coordination with Pittsburgh's chevra kadisha for the taharah (the ritual washing)
- Coordination of shomrim (the watchers) from death until burial — drawn from the chevra kadisha roster or from the family
- Filing of permits and the death certificate with the City of Pittsburgh and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- The simple wooden aron — unfinished pine, hexagonal, plain iron or wooden hardware, no upholstery, no metal ornament
- The tachrichim — the simple white burial shroud, hand-stitched, plain linen
- Chapel service at Sanctuary or graveside service at the cemetery, as the family prefers
- Procession from the chapel to the cemetery; family transportation if requested
- Coordination with the cemetery (Beth Shalom, Tree of Life, Adath Jeshurun, or others)
- Burial-day attendance through the committal and the kaddish
- Family-wash basin at the cemetery gate (for the mitzvah of washing the hands upon leaving the cemetery)
- Coordination with the family's rabbi or, if the family is unaffiliated, referral to a rabbi from our roster (see the contact page)
What's not included by default.
Embalming. Embalming is not performed for Conservative or Orthodox families and is not included by default for Reform families. If a family has a specific reason for embalming (a long delay before burial, an international repatriation), we will discuss it; in most cases the alternative — refrigeration — is preferred.
Cremation. Observant Jewish practice does not include cremation. Sanctuary's primary service is burial. We will coordinate a cremation if a family requests it and we have served their family for generations; for new families requesting cremation, we will refer to another firm that specializes in it.
Flowers. Jewish funerals do not include flowers. The convention is to ask, in the obituary, that contributions be made to a charity, to the deceased's congregation, or to a cause the family supports. Sanctuary does not arrange flowers for Jewish funerals.
Pricing.
- Traditional Jewish burial · typical range
- $3,800 — $7,400, depending on the cemetery selection, cantorial fees, the choice of aron, and the timing of the service. The full General Price List is provided at the first arrangement meeting and is available on request.
- Aron · unfinished pine (standard)
- Included in the package — no markup.
- Chevra kadisha taharah
- Included — Sanctuary coordinates with the chevra kadisha. There is no separate fee from the chevra kadisha to the family.
- Cemetery and grave costs
- Vary by cemetery — typically $1,800 to $4,500 for the plot and the opening/closing. Beth Shalom and Tree of Life have set rates for members; Adath Jeshurun is similar. Sanctuary will work to the family's existing plot or arrange a new one at the cemetery the family prefers.
Coordinating with your rabbi.
Sanctuary works with rabbis from Beth Shalom (Conservative), Tree of Life · Or L'Simcha (Reconstructionist), Rodef Shalom (Reform), Adath Jeshurun (Modern Orthodox), the Squirrel Hill Modern Orthodox shul, and the unaffiliated rabbis who serve the families that do not belong to a single congregation. The family chooses the rabbi. Sanctuary coordinates timing, music, and the chapel arrangements with the rabbi's office.
If the family does not have a rabbi or does not have one immediately reachable, we maintain a roster of rabbis who are available for short-notice services, listed by congregation and by movement on our contact page. There is no preference among them on our part.
Frequently asked questions.
How soon after death does the burial take place?
Sanctuary aims for burial within twenty-four hours, as Jewish law generally requires where possible. Pennsylvania's death-certificate requirements, the cemetery's schedule, and the rabbi's availability sometimes require a delay of a day or two — especially when the death occurs late on a Friday or before a Jewish holiday, when burial cannot proceed until after Shabbat or the holiday concludes.
Is the body embalmed?
No. Embalming is not performed for families observing Conservative or Orthodox practice, and most Reform families also forgo it. The body is washed and prepared by the chevra kadisha (the taharah) and dressed in tachrichim. The body is held in our climate-controlled preparation room until burial.
What kind of casket is used?
A simple unfinished wooden casket (the aron) — traditionally pine, hexagonal, with no metal hardware and no upholstery. The principle is equality in death: the wealthy and the poor are buried in the same kind of box. We do not stock metal caskets and do not arrange them.
Are flowers customary at a Jewish funeral?
No. Jewish funerals do not include flowers. The tradition is to make a donation to a charity, to the deceased's congregation, or to a cause the family supports, in place of flowers. We will note the family's preferred charity in the obituary.