tradition Archives – Page 4 of 22

They also serve: Rabbis’ spouses prove as diverse as roles they fill

Danielle Berrin September 11, 2008

For as long as rabbis have been arguing Talmud, their wives have been at home preparing Shabbat dinner. Yet that image, along with expectations for clergy spouses, has evolved. For one, they\’re no longer all women. They\’re no longer always hovering in the background. And they\’re not always different genders.
Photo: Rabbi Brian, Rabbi Deborah and Heshel Schuldenfrei

The dream of a beautiful bat mitzvah — but whose dream would it fulfill?

Jewish Journal September 11, 2008

When I look at my daughters, I see their faces as both azoy shayne and uruwashii, \”so beautiful\” in Yiddish and in Japanese.

Mom’s final resting places — a cremation story

Ellie Kahn, Oral Historian August 7, 2008

If you are offended either by the idea of cremation or humor about the dead, you may want to stop reading. It\’s OK.

Obituaries

Jewish Journal August 7, 2008

The high cost of dying

Jane Ulman August 7, 2008

A traditional Jewish funeral is simple and not ostentatious — good news for people concerned about the high cost of dying. But while Jewish law doesn\’t require embalming, elaborate floral displays or 16-gauge metal caskets with tufted crepe interiors, it does require Jews to be buried in the ground. And that costs money.

An incomplete guide to Jewish funerals and burial

Jane Ulman August 7, 2008

While not everyone is jumping on the \’I gotta be me\’ funeral bandwagon, a funny thing is happening on the way to the mortuary. When it comes to thinking about the end of life, be it in the business of funeral homes or in the minds of Jews everywhere, the world is changing.