Resolution Adopted by the CCAR
Death and Dying
Adopted by the CCAR at the 88th Annual Convention of
the Central Conference of American Rabbis
or subsequent to that Convention in 1977
We view with interest and increasing appreciation the serious confrontation with the
dynamics of dying, death and bereavement. The readiness to explore with honesty these
areas which have for long been avoided is something which is long overdue. Rabbis
are called upon to bring sustenance in times of sorrow. We are being helped and will
continue to be aided in helping our congregants face death and mourning with greater
human resources because of the contemporary openness.
We note with special pride the efforts on the part of many of our colleagues to institute
seminars on death and dying within their congregations and on their campuses. The
creation of classes in Religious Schools and the writing of informative volumes together with helpful presentations from the pulpit can only serve to make our people
better able to understand dying, death and bereavement. At this time we call upon
one another to make conscious efforts to deal with death openly and realistically.
We suggest, therefore, that in congregational publications, services and other forums we be
on guard against using euphemisms that evade the reality of death. In our ceremonial
practices, particularly those connected with funerals and unveilings, we should incorporate those customs, many of them flowing from our Jewish traditions, that make for
a more realistic attitude towards death.