Over the past six months I’ve made multiple drafts of a booklet for Temple Beth Israel called A Time To Mourn-A guide to funeral practice and mourning, which is based on the content and format of a similar booklet from a Reform synagogue in Lexington MA.
Acting on Rabbi Glaser’s request to adapt it to Beth Israel, I first typed in the original booklet from Lexington, then started reading and researching about death and mourning practices, traditional and Reform, to better express the Temple Beth Israel viewpoint. I also rearranged sections and incorporated the rules and regulations for Beth Israel cemeteries, an idea I got from a similar booklet done by Temple Beth El in Richmond that the Wassermans sponsored. I’ve gone over each draft with the rabbi and today gave him the penultimate draft to run by the Ritual and Cemetery Committees.
The rabbi has agreed with me that copies (2,000 first printing) should go to each synagogue family (1500) and to every new member upon joining. Like all institutions Beth Israel has financial problems so I told him I would undertake to raise funds for the printing and mailing (I already know it can be printed for about $900) from the Gimilut Hasadim and the Grief Support Committees, people who attend the Daily Minyan and selected others.