Why Don’t Jews Traditionally Choose Cremation?

A question we're asked all the time

There are deeper religious reasons behind it, but the simplest explanation comes down to how Judaism views the body after death.

The body is treated with dignity, even after death

In Jewish tradition, the body is treated with tremendous dignity and care. Even after someone passes away, we don't see their body as something that has simply lost its value. This is the body that carried that person through their entire life. It was part of everything they did and everything they experienced.

Because of that, Jewish tradition teaches us to keep caring for the body after death, to interfere with it as little as possible, and to bury it intact.

Why traditional Jewish burial is so simple

The body is carefully prepared, wrapped in a shroud, placed in a simple wooden casket, and buried without embalming.

How cremation is different

Cremation intentionally breaks down the body, while Jewish burial allows the process to happen naturally over time.

There are much deeper teachings behind why Jewish law requires burial, but the basic idea is simple: even after death, we continue to treat the body with care, dignity, and respect. (More on what makes a burial Jewish)