Help with Funeral and Burial Arrangements
Fabrangen members volunteer to help the community member who has suffered a loss make the arrangements with the funeral home of their choice. Fabrangen is a member of the Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington that contracts with two local funeral homes to provide for Jewish funerals and burials that are respectful of Jewish traditions.
Marsha Rozenblit and Manny Thorne are the current contacts for our Chevra Kadisha Committee. They can be reached via email at bereavement@fabrangen.org. You can also you can contact coordinator@fabrangen.org.
Assistance with the Funeral
Tahara (Purification)
A team of Fabrangeners (men for men and women for women) volunteer to ritually wash, dress in a white shroud, and place the body of the deceased in a plain pine casket in the ritual Jewish tradition.
Shomrim (Watchers)
Fabrangeners and other volunteers take turns to sit near the body of the deceased after the ritual washing and and recite Psalms, or appropriate readings until the time of the funeral.
Funeral Service
If requested, Fabrangen members will are available to help mourners plan and lead the funeral service graveside, or at the chapel of the funeral home.
Burial
Fabrangen has a congregational section in Garden of Remembrance Memorial Park (GOR) [Gan Zikaron in Hebrew]. For more information, see Fabrangen’s Cemetery Section.
Mourning
Shiva (Week of Mourning):
Fabrangeners help organize a meal for mourners immediately after the burial, and provide additional meals for them during the week of shiva. Shiva minyans are arranged by Fabrangen volunteer Lenny Blank, who can be contacted at shiva@fabrangen.org.
Shloshim & Unveiling:
Fabrangeners can also assist with other needs after the shiva period, including the shloshim (30 days after death) and unveiling ceremonies.
Saying Kaddish:
We welcome mourners at our weekly Shabbat morning services.
Yizkor:
Fabrangen includes the Yizkor service on Yom Kippur, Shmini Atzeret, Passover and Shavout services. Fabrangen also provides the opportunity for remembrances of loved ones in an annual Memorial Booklet to supplement the Yizkor service on Yom Kippur.
Fabrangen Memorial Quilt:
The header on our website is taken from the Fabrangen Memorial Quilt which was designed by Shirley Waxman and is dedicated to the memories of families and friends. The quilt was commissioned in 1991 and new names are added periodically.
Additional Information
- Check the The Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington for details on contracts with local funeral homes.
- For more detailed information about Jewish funerals, burial and mourning traditions, visit Kavod v’Nichum – Jewish Funerals Burial and Mourning.
- Hineni is a full guide on traditional Jewish death practices JADE (Jewish Association for Death Education).