Thank you to all who came and shared in the sacred practice of making Tachrichim for our congregation on Monday evening. Many hands made light work! 

The work isn’t done though - we cut out four sets but still need to sew them and cut out many more! Please join us next Monday night from 6:00-8:00 PM at BHA. There will be sewing and delightful conversation as we practice this ancient tradition and prepare for the BHAs Chevra Kadisha  group to honor our beloved dead. We will convene again on Monday 10/23 and 10/30, and keep going, if need be, until we accomplish our goal. 

Cutting skills are as important as sewing skills. Nothing intimidating! 

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The traditional clothing for burying the dead are tachrichim, simple white garments or furnishings, including a winding sheet (sovev).  At BHA, we believe that the mandate to care for our dead extends to the way we dress them. Rather than using store-bought tachrichim, we prefer to use ones sewn by hand, literally enveloping the deceased in the love of their community. Come help make the Tachrichim for our sacred dead. 

Sewers are needed, please bring your sewing scissors, sewing machines, thread, pins and needles. If your skills are limited to tracing patterns and cutting out fabric that is most welcome as well! Come to all three sessions or just one. Or bring wine and sing to us as we practice this sacred act.

It is an honor to be able to assist the Chevra Kadisha by producing the vestments which our dead will be honored to wear as they return to the earth from whence they came. Please join us in continuing this tradition.

What are tachrichim? Here's a little context:

"​It is Jewish belief that all human beings are holy, having been created in the image of God. Therefore, we are to treat all people with dignity and respect, both living and dead. When someone dies, their body, which was the vehicle for their holy soul in this life, must be treated gently and with the same respect one would treat a living human being. Just as we wash and dress a newborn baby as they enter the world, we now wash and dress the deceased as they leave this world. The ritual process by which this is done is called taharah, from the Hebrew root tet-hey-resh having to do with purification. It is accompanied by a specific liturgy based in Kabbalah, and is performed by a dedicated group in the community whose job it is to care for the dead. They are called the chevrah kadisha, or “holy society.”​In death, Jews are all equal before God, so Jews dress all deceased the same, namely, in garments that represent those worn by the holiest of our People, the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, who on Yom Kippur would enter the Holy of Holies to pray for the redemption of the people. These burial garments are called tachrichim, and are made of simple cotton or linen with no pockets (there’s no need to take anything with you), buttons, or snaps, and generally include a shirt, a jacket, pants, and a head covering, with slight variations between women and men."

Kavod v'Nichum website