“To every thing there is its season, a time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die.” Ecclesaistes 3:1-2

Final Moments of Life
As clergy, it is our honor to support you and your family in the difficult moments as you or your loved face the end of life. Please contact us so that we can best be present for you to offer counsel, to offer words of blessing, and to be a source of healing.

Funerals
At a funeral ceremony, we mark the life of the deceased with Psalms and poems and by telling stories that reflect well on the life of the person who has died. Generally our clergy meet with the family members prior to the funeral so that a fitting eulogy can be crafted and a service can be prepared that will reflect the one who has died. A funeral ceremony for one of our members can take place either in the Beth El sanctuary, in a funeral home chapel, or at graveside. We also have clergy available to serve non-members in the local funeral homes and at graveside.
 
Chevra Kadisha – A Holy Society
“As he came, so shall he go” says Ecclesiastes.  Just as a newborn child is immediately washed as he enters this world, so is a person departing the world lovingly cleaned and prepared for the journey by a Chevra Kadisha.  The greatest mitzvah we can fulfill is l’vayat hameit -  caring for those who have died.  Because it is a mitzvah that can never be repaid, this act is so esteemed in our tradition that it is called chesed shel emet — a true act of grace.  If you would like to join the Chevra Kadisha and be trained in performing taharah — the ritual washing  -  please let the clergy know. It is only an occasional commitment, since not many of our members request such preparation at their death.

Our Cemetery
Charlotte is blessed to have a beautiful, inter-denominational Jewish cemetery. The majority of our burials take place at the Hebrew Cemetery on Statesville Avenue. Our clergy have also, however, officiated at funerals in other nearby cemeteries.  To inquire about the cemetery or to purchase a plot, please contact the Director, Joe Kodsi at 704-576-1859.

Rituals of Mourning and Memory

Shiva Minyans and Sheloshim
Jewish mourning practices are designed to lessen in intensity as the first year passes, The first week- the days of shiva – is traditionally marked by intense mourning. Many of our congregants choose to host one or more shiva minyans, in which friends and family gather to mark the life of the deceased through worship. The clergy and lay leaders of worship are available and honored to lead those services.

The period of sheloshim – the first 30 days following the death – are marked in the synagogue by reading the name of the deceased before the Mourner’s Kaddish. Our clergy are here to provide counseling, to be present for you in your time of grief, and to answer questions regarding the mourning rituals.

Yahrzeit
Each week at our Friday night and Shabbat morning services, we read the names of those whose yahrzeit (anniversary of death) falls that week. Our congregational practice is that individual mourners rise when their loved one’s name is read, and then we rise as a community to recite the Mourner’s Kaddish.  If you are a member, please be sure that we have on record your loved ones’ dates’ of death, so that we can include their names at our services and send you annual reminders of the yahrzeit
   
Yizkor
Four times a year – Yom Kippur, the end of Sukkot, the last day of Pesach, and on Shavuot – we gather as a community for the service of Yizkor – memory. This service, part of the festival worship, allows us time to reflect on the lives of our loved ones in the midst of our most solemn occasions.