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Be at peace with your choice

Selecting an eternal resting place might seem depressing. But it can also be life-affirming. A fitting farewell spot gives future generations a way to connect with the person who once lived, dreamed and left their mark on this world.
“My great aunt never had children. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to visit her grave in Wisconsin, but I’m grateful I can show my children the photo of the headstone, and I can tell them about her”
-Sara Hoffman

Find a spot in your comfort zone

You may be most familiar with the Jewish cemetery closest to you, but if it doesn’t fit your needs, there are often other options a bit further out.

With burial plots available at hundreds of Jewish cemeteries throughout all 50 states, you’ll find both traditional settings and more modern memorial parks on beautifully landscaped grounds. Costs vary greatly by location, with some less-populated areas offering significant savings.
Green burial, with its focus on simplicity, is becoming increasingly popular, and is actually the preferred method of burial according to Jewish law.

Green burial is Jewish burial

When you think of burial, do you think of steel caskets,
chemical embalming and concrete vaults?
A go-out-in-style funeral?
In 1960, that was the norm. But things are changing. Today, more than 58% of families* say they’re considering green burial.

Here’s why you might like it too

No Carbon Footprint

If the idea of releasing toxins like mercury into the earth (as in a metal-casket burial), or into the air (as in cremation) bothers you, green burial might be the way to go.

Focus on sustainability

The body is not cremated, prepared with chemicals, or buried in a concrete vault. It is simply placed in a biodegradable container and interred in a gravesite to return to nature.

More Affordable

Since the focus is on natural burial, meaningful gravesite ceremonies are common. In place of a lengthy funeral service, attendees will reflect on the eco-friendly lifestyle you truly value.

A Way to Give Back

After a lifetime of rejuvenating in her waters, climbing her peaks, and nourishing our bodies with her quinoa, bananas and coffee beans, green burial restores the earth’s minerals to their rightful place.

You can truly become one with nature

The rising interest in green burial is actually a return to a millenia-old Jewish practice. The concept is rooted in the Jewish idea of ‘dust to dust,’ returning the body to its natural elements. Green burials show respect to the deceased and respect to the environment.

Born a Jew?
Burial takes you full circle.

No matter how Jewishly aware or active a person was during their lifetime, choosing a traditional Jewish burial declares
I may not have been a perfect Jew, but I’m a proud one. And I want to be buried as Jews have been for thousands of years.

I owe it to my ancestors.
I owe it to my descendants.
I owe it to my body — and I owe it to my soul. 

Reprinted with permission from Doron Kornbluth’s Cremation or Burial: A Jewish View (Mosaica Press, 2012)

How We Help

We don’t sell or broker any services. We simply guide you in arranging Jewish after-life care.

When you call Last Kindness, you can expect to

Discuss your needs and concerns with a counselor

Receive referrals to the best resources near you

Get the information and moral support you need

Have your counselor follow up to be sure you’re taken care of!

Speak with a Kind Counselor

Not ready to move on this just yet?

Here's something you can do meanwhile:

Check out an easy way to share your end-of-life wishes with loved ones.

View Forms

Last Kindness is a division of NASCK, a non-profit organization with a 501(c)3 tax-exempt status.
EIN: 11-3364887

Are you a Kindred Spirit?

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Here are some of the things we can do for you:

  • Discuss the Jewish approach to caring for the deceased
  • Assist you in arranging a Jewish burial
  • Answer questions about mourning, kaddish, or any aspect of Jewish law or tradition
  • Help you fill out your ‘Expression of Wishes’ document
  • Provide personal guidance for discussing after-life care with a loved one
Of course, if you have a different question or concern, we will always do our best to guide.