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Chevra Kadisha of Northern Arizona
The Chevra Kadisha (Jewish Burial Society) of Northern Arizona is an independent, non-profit organization serving Jewish families across the region. We encourage families to follow Jewish practices when a loved one dies.
Our group was started by a small group of Temple members who saw and felt the need for these services in our community.
Temple B’rith Shalom’s rabbi, Rabbi William Berkowitz, is our advisor, but we are not affiliated with the Temple or with any other organization. Rather, we are part of a growing national movement to revive an age-old Jewish commitment: providing chesed shel emet—an act of loving kindness—to one who has died, and to a grieving family in our midst.
 Our trained volunteers come from, and serve families from, across the Jewish spectrum. The dignity and wishes of the deceased and family guide us in adapting ancient rituals for modern times—for those being interred or those choosing cremation. We are prepared to provide shomerim to sit with the deceased, and/or to prepare the body ritually (tahara). We work with funeral homes in the tri-city area and beyond. We have also performed funerals when a rabbi is unavailable.
The first and only independent Chevra Kadisha in the state, we’ve served families across Arizona. We have performed our services in Sedona and in the Phoenix area. Our members have addressed national conferences, nurses, and hospice groups. We’ve trained volunteers and advised others interested in establishing their own groups. Since 2004 we have become a national model for others, both in the Reform Movement and in the larger Jewish community.
The Talmud tells us “If one makes lament, others will lament for him; if one assists at burial, others will bury him; if one carries the bier, others will carry him. But if one prepares the body for burial, the Holy One, Blessed be He, smiles and says, ‘This suffices.’ " (Maod Katan 28b)
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