Fishbane, S. (1989) Jewish Mourning Rites – A Process of Resocialization, Anthropologica, 31:1
Illustrated with fieldwork involving members of an Orthodox Jewish Congregation in North America, Fishbane investigates both the historical development of funerary practices and the formalities of the mourning period in contemporary Judaism. The author largely focuses on the rituals included in the aninut, the mourning period spanning from death until burial, but also details ensuing practices that extend for months afterward.
The article’s thesis is sociological: the author presents the numerous mourning practices as means for sustaining the solidarity of the family and community. Through funerary rituals, roles within the social order of the family that may have shifted are addressed and reestablished.
For the Emanu-el site, the information this article offers is, while by no means irrelevant, not particularly valuable for the assessment of material features such as gravestones. With minor exceptions, the mourning practices described in this article are ephemeral and leave no lasting, conspicuous traces that might enrich our efforts. For background cultural context, however, this article is advantageous for cultivating a clearer perspective on Jewish traditions, as it is a detailed summary of the rituals and formalities involved in the burial process.
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