Jewish funeral rituals following the tragedy: NPR

The final burial took place last Friday for the last of 11 people killed by an armed man at the Tree of Life synagogue a week ago.

For Rabbi Daniel Wasserman, it was a week like no other.

Wasserman is a member of the Pittsburgh Orthodox Community chevra kadishaas a Jewish burial society is known. According to Jewish custom, a body is not supposed to be left alone from the moment of death until the moment of burial and all remains must be buried with the body.

But as a result of the attack last week and the investigation that followed, the chevra kadisha had to find a way to follow the tradition even as they operated on a crime scene.

"The FBI has been trying to find a balance between its obvious need to gather evidence, map the crime scene and process it so that it can start legal proceedings," Wasserman told NPR's Scott Simon in a statement. recorded interview before the Sabbath. .

The rabbi said federal investigators had shown flexibility in organizing funeral preparations and had allowed members of the funeral society to access the synagogue on Tuesday.

Wasserman, the chief rabbi of Shaare Torah Synagogue, a neighboring congregation of Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh, said the usual criminal procedures left him "anxious".

Honoring dead observant Jews comes with many obstacles. "As you can imagine – and I'm certainly not going to graph in this context – um, there is a lot of blood everywhere," he said.

During the ritual, which goes back to biblical times, the preparations involve cleansing and dressing the body, as well as prayers, all in a specific order.

"In Hebrew we call them Kedoshim, the saints, because they were killed only and only because they were Jewish, "said Wasserman." Each of these people, for the murderer, represented the totality of the Jewish people. "

Chevra Kadisha, Frank Malke of the New Pittsburgh Community, told The New York Times that those leading the ritual "begin with a prayer, then ask forgiveness if mistakes are made during the ritual, using Hebrew or Yiddish of the person's name to address the body, as a sign of respect. "

Before entering the synagogue Tree of Life Tuesday, Wasserman told the New York Times: "We would look for any flesh, any blood, any organic material to give him the honor of serving the bodies."

Once the cleanup is over, the group ends "with a phrase from the Song of Songs, a poem from the Jewish Bible:" You are beautiful, my beloved friend and there is no fault in you, "according to the Times .

In his interview with NPR, Wasserman said he was not allowed to cry: "Because if I do, I'll fall apart," he said, choking the conversation.

"As the days go by, it's getting harder and harder for me to hold back those tears, so I'll probably need a corner soon to fall apart."

Reflecting on what it will mean when services resume at Tree of Life, Wasserman recalls the national debate on what to do with the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks.

"I remember the date of Ground Zero talks and discussions about what to do and not do in his sacred space," he said. "I imagine that they will resolve to honor their memory by continuing to make it a place of holiness, a place of peace, a place of love and a place of prayer."

Wynne Davis of NPR contributed to this report. Sophia Boyd and Joanne Levine have produced and edited the audio version of this story.