Lost Opportunity to Educate People in Most Beautiful Part of Judaism -RBG's Lengthy Repose Before Burial
Posted 09-30-2020 at 06:34 PM by jbgusa
Ruth Bader Ginsberg died on September 18, 2020 and buried on September 29, 2020, or 11 days later. This death and the mourning were widely publicized. I argue that this exception from normal Jewish post-death practices deprived the public of education on probably our most beautiful customs and practices. Judaism's normal death rituals are almost unique. They are well-known for centering around the rapid scheduling of the funeral, rapid burial of the body, and a short but intense mourning period, called "Shiva." This practice was obviously not followed with RBG's death, where she lay in state at the U.S. Supreme Court for days, and then at the Capitol Rotunda. Despite the number of "firsts" breathlessly reported, such as first woman given that honor, I found what transpired grotesque.
There is background and history to my beliefs. When I was growing up in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I actually had very little interest in Judaism. The childhood Jewish education was marred by spitballs and lack of discipline.
Fast forward to late 1972 and early 1973, my sophomore year of high school. Even before my father's death of January 5, 1973, some people I had met, and ironically one with whom I have become close friends took Judaism seriously.
My father died in the wee hours of the morning of January 5, 1973. By that afternoon The rabbi was in our living room going over the funeral. He carefully explained the rationale of Jewish death rituals. I participated actively in the drafting of the eulogy. I frankly learned more about Judaism in that 30 to 60 minutes then I learned in my last year of Hebrew school, when I was 12 and 13. That was in the spring of 1970.
Since then I've always found Jewish rituals concerning death both sensible and comforting. I find it to be one of most comforting, most beautiful and best parts of our religion. Too bad politicians ruined it, to show how much they adulated a female Supreme Court justice and lioness of the feminist movement.
There is background and history to my beliefs. When I was growing up in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I actually had very little interest in Judaism. The childhood Jewish education was marred by spitballs and lack of discipline.
Fast forward to late 1972 and early 1973, my sophomore year of high school. Even before my father's death of January 5, 1973, some people I had met, and ironically one with whom I have become close friends took Judaism seriously.
My father died in the wee hours of the morning of January 5, 1973. By that afternoon The rabbi was in our living room going over the funeral. He carefully explained the rationale of Jewish death rituals. I participated actively in the drafting of the eulogy. I frankly learned more about Judaism in that 30 to 60 minutes then I learned in my last year of Hebrew school, when I was 12 and 13. That was in the spring of 1970.
Since then I've always found Jewish rituals concerning death both sensible and comforting. I find it to be one of most comforting, most beautiful and best parts of our religion. Too bad politicians ruined it, to show how much they adulated a female Supreme Court justice and lioness of the feminist movement.
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