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Volunteering for a Jewish burial society showed me how to live a more sacred life

JL;DR SUMMARY Hannah Lebovits's reflective piece on volunteering for a Chevra Kadisha underscores the sacred nature of Jewish burial practices and their contrast to the increasing visibility of Jewish life. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish CustomsVolunteeringCommunity ServiceChevra KadishaAuthenticityRitualsChesed Shel EmetJewish BurialTaharaSacredness

Places mentioned

Dallas, Texas, United States
"Though Anas primary residence was several hours from the city, and she was not affiliated with any local synagogues, a burial plot in Dallas had her name on it."
Arlington, Texas, United States
"Hannah Lebovits is a contributing columnist for the Forward and an assistant professor of public affairs at the University of Texas-Arlington."

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Retrieved 2025-07-11 05:31:16 UTC
Curated 2025-07-11 08:31:30 UTC