Jewish Traditions

Traditions For A New Generation

Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary Jewish Traditions

 Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary is unique among Jewish cemeteries for honoring every tradition of everyone in our care. By offering the highest level of service as well as personalized mortuary and cemetery offerings, we help families honor their unique beliefs and actively support stronger Jewish and interfaith communities.

What is Tradition?

Although it seems like an artifact of the past, tradition is actually a verb. It changes, lives on, and binds new generations together. In fact, it’s because of tradition changes that it is able to remain meaningful to Southern California’s Jewish and interfaith communities. From creating new forms of Jewish burial to offering a concierge cremation experience to hosting events and select holiday programs on our grounds, we are proud to serve as a cornerstone for Southern California’s Jewish Community.

Jewish Burial Preparations at Hillside

Whether you would like to carry on your own ceremony or organize a formal Chevra, our experienced funeral directors coordinate burial preparations and will strive to provide the exceptional burial services that have comforted the Jewish community for thousands of years. These traditions include:

Taharah

Those who have died are ritually bathed so as to leave the world as pure as they arrived. After prayers and psalms are recited, the deceased is then dressed in tachrichim.

Tachrichim

While a person who has died is traditionally clothed in a white cotton or linen burial garment, today, many are buried in their own clothes, as well as their tallit (prayer shawl) if they usually wore one. When a person is buried wearing a tallit, one of the tzitzit (long corner fringes) is cut off, so it is unfit for ritual use, signifying the person who has died is no longer responsible for performing the mitzvot. Many people are also buried with a small amount of earth from Israel under their heads.

Sh'mirah

Sh’mirah can be translated as ‘watching’ or ‘guarding,’ and a shomer – a person who guards the body – can be hired to perform this ritual.

Jewish Mourning Traditions at Hillside

Jewish custom recognizes that death is an inevitable and necessary part of life. The rituals observed at the time of death and during mourning help us experience our sorrow and find peace through our bonds with family and community, including:

Immediate Funeral Planning

In Jewish tradition, funerals are held as rapidly as possible after death – sometimes even on the same day. While all funerals are coordinated according to the availability of staff, clergy, and spaces, Hillside is committed to helping you honor your loved one’s memory on your timeline

Notes to the Wall

Our Notes to the Wall Program takes your prayers and dearest wishes directly from your lips to “The Ear of God,” The Western Wall, one of the holiest places in Jerusalem.

Holiday Observances

In addition to holding yahrzeit candle lighting ceremonies, Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary also holds select Yizkor services around some important holidays when the park is not closed.

Understanding Jewish Mourning Traditions

To learn more about Jewish mourning traditions meant to guide families through grief with practices such as Shiva, Sh’loshim, Yizkor; and Yahrzeit, visit our Jewish Mourning Traditions Page.

More Guidance for the Jewish Lifecycle

The death of a loved one is so often a painful and confusing time for family members and friends. It is our hope that our Jewish Lifecycle Guide will assist you in planning the funeral and offer helpful information on our centuries-old Jewish burial and mourning practices. Download yours today.